Law Student Testifies at Oregon Legislature

In early April, Nikolis Clark ’25 got the chance of a lifetime: to testify in front of the Joint Committee on Information Management and Technology for Oregon Legislature’s proposed House Bill 3592, which seeks to establish the Oregon Commission on Artificial Intelligence. This committee would serve as a central body in monitoring the increasing usage of AI across the state and the potential long-term implications of doing so. Nikolis had been externing with Oregon Consumer Justice (OCJ) and assisting them in AI policy research for nearly a year when he was approached with this opportunity. With the support and assistance of his externship mentor, Chris Coughlin, he crafted the 3 minute testimony that found itself in front of the Legislature.

Nikolis has been focusing his studies on AI policy and law while at Lewis & Clark, paving the way for his time in front of the legislature. Classes like AI & Law with Professor Ebrahim introduced him to the ways in which law treats the increasingly pervasive AI space, addressing the societal and legal responses to the new technology, and considering the development and regulation of law in specific subject matter areas. These types of classes piqued his interest and inspired Nikolis to focus his capstone project on AI-related civil rights litigation, under Professor Parry’s guidance.

His experience at Lewis & Clark Law provided a strong foundation for Nikolis going into his testimony. “I was really excited because it was my first time being able to talk about the subject I have dedicated my time to,” he explained, “[A]s a law student with a focus in policy, I never litigated or spoke before the court so this was my moment to talk about my discipline. I thought it was a pretty cool way to end the semester.”

Nikolis wasn’t alone in his participation either: adjunct professor and alumna, Kimberly McCullough ’13, gave testimony as well, representing the Oregon Judicial Department in her capacity as the Senior Counsel for Government Relations. Nikolis had taken Professor McCullough’s Reproductive Justice class in the Fall and he reflected on this connection, saying “What was a bit cooler was that [she] was there testifying, and she had been working on AI policy in her role at the DOJ. I was supported by both of my policy mentors, and was really excited to share.”

Following this opportunity, Nikolis is excited to continue to pursue a career in AI policy.