Building on Excellence

Alicia Ouellette will take the helm of Lewis & Clark Law School in January 2025. She previously served as president and dean of Albany Law School for nine years. She will succeed John Parry, who is serving as interim dean during the fall 2024 semester, and Jordan D. Schnitzer Dean Emerita Jennifer Johnson, who retired at the end of July after having led the school for a decade.

What are some similarities and differences between Albany and L&C, and how do you think your experiences have prepared you for this role?

They are close in size, with about the same number of students and faculty. Both schools take great pride in graduating an unusually high number of individuals who go into public service and public interest law. Both schools have exceptional clinical programs and a strong emphasis on practical training. And the faculty at each school is remarkable in its commitment to students, teaching excellence, and meaningful scholarship.

An important difference between the schools is that Lewis & Clark Law is part of a larger institution, with its own president and institutional resources. Being a part of a larger institution is a real advantage in that the college provides resources and services that an independent law school needs to carry on its own. There are ready opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration that benefit the law school and the college as a whole. And as dean, I am very much looking forward to working as a part of a team led by a strong president.

My experience should help me enormously in my new role. I understand the opportunities and challenges law schools are facing. I’ve managed a budget, led a staff, worked with faculty, developed new programs, engaged alumni, raised funds, and supported students. I won’t need to learn how to do those things. I can focus instead on learning the people, the place, the potential—all of which is a huge undertaking—and on developing relationships that can lead to transformational change.

Why did you seek the deanship?

I have been drawn to Lewis & Clark Law since I visited it a decade ago when Dean Johnson hosted a meeting of women law deans. At the time, I was inspired by the sense of place—how the campus embraces the surrounding natural landscape with outdoor spaces and embedded trees—and also by the caliber of students I met and the city of Portland itself.

I have followed the school in the years since and have been further impressed by how it attracts such academically strong students, the support of its alumni and other donors, the reputation of its faculty, the focus on practical training, and its reputation as a national leader in legal writing, environmental law, and animal law. Lewis & Clark Law School now feels like a place on the rise and one that is ready to grow.

When the dean’s position became available, I looked more closely and found that the school’s institutional values align closely with my own—it’s important to me to work in a place where we can work together toward common goals. I was further impressed by the school’s job placement and fundraising records, as these measures signal community support. I looked into the curriculum and appreciated its emphasis on professional development and practical training. I was inspired by the work students and faculty are doing in the clinics.

What are your priorities for your first six months? Your first year?

My first priority will be getting to know the people. A good leader really understands and connects with people. As a newcomer, I have a lot of work ahead to make those connections. I will spend the first six months listening and learning. I hope that students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters will be open to meeting with me and sharing their experiences and hopes for the institution.

That listening process will be a part of another of my priorities: working with the law school community to vision and adopt our own law school-specific strategic plan. I know the college is deeply engaged in strategic planning. The law school needs its own blueprint for success within the framework of the college plan.

The plan will identify short- and long-term challenges and opportunities, such as continuing to deepen the diversity of the student body, expanding the cutting-edge opportunities available to students, maximizing faculty resources and productivity, and enhancing relationships with key stakeholders.

In my experience, the process of coming together to enunciate and plan for a shared vision, mission, and values will inspire our law school community, promote effective decision making, and help us grow Lewis & Clark Law to its full potential. Launching that process will be a priority in my first year.

What is noteworthy about Lewis & Clark that you want to preserve, and where do you see opportunities?

I think it is essential to continue the emphasis on access by making legal education available beyond the traditional three-year JD program. If we are committed to diversifying the legal profession, and to creating a bench and bar that reflects the clients we serve, ensuring access and flexibility is critical.

Lewis & Clark Law is also known for excellence in environmental law, animal law, legal writing, and advocacy. We should celebrate, build on, and leverage these strengths while also cultivating other areas, particularly those that will lead to good jobs for our graduates. There are opportunities for growth in advocacy, in business, in social justice, in the innovation economy.

Our established programs, expertise, and reputation in the field allow us to attract the brightest and best students. I see tremendous opportunities to grow the school’s reputation and leverage its existing but lesser-known strengths in teaching, scholarship, academic and clinical programs, and alumni networks. I see opportunities for broader engagement with the Portland community, for development of national alumni networks, and for encouraging faculty, students, and staff to share their achievements and scholarly contributions with the world.

Why are skills-based experiential learning opportunities so important for our students and the communities we serve?

The law comes alive when students make a difference in the lives of real clients with real needs. Time after time, I have heard from students and alumni about an experience in a clinic, externship, or practicum that affected them deeply, igniting a lifelong passion for legal advocacy and professional excellence.

Experiential learning is also critical for professional development. Students develop expertise in problem solving, working effectively with clients, adversaries, agencies, courts, and others. Students learn about how clients think and what clients want and need from their legal counsel, including active listening and empathy. And because they have faculty at their sides as they learn, students can stretch themselves, take chances, make mistakes, and learn from mistakes.

While students are learning through their clinical experiences, they are also serving our communities. Engaging with our communities, being a good community partner, and advocating for positive societal change are part of the work of the law school—and the work of lawyers. We have an obligation to do our part to provide access to justice through pro bono legal services. Our clinics ensure we meet that obligation.

What do you like to do in your free time?

My husband and I are avid hikers. We recently completed some magnificent hikes in Patagonia and Peru, where we hiked the Inca Trail. We love to travel. We play pickleball. And when time allows, I cook, garden, read, and work out.