Law Student Life

American Constitution Society (ACS) is a national organization of law students, law professors, judges, practicing lawyers and others.  The Lewis & Clark Law School chapter was jointly founded in August 2003 by law students and professors who were interested in revitalizing and transforming legal debate both on campus and beyond.  Our goal is to strengthen the intellectual foundations of a more progressive vision of the law. We provide forums for discussion and debate within the L&C Law School Community on issues such as: privacy; freedom of speech; federalism; antidiscrimination and affirmative action; gay rights; reproductive choice; disability rights; labor and consumer rights; protection of health, safety, and the environment.

APALSA provides its members with personal, academic, and professional support to aid in the development of its law students. We work with attorneys in the Portland area to provide networking and professional development opportunities for APALSA members. We also hold several events throughout the school year to build a sense of community within APALSA and the rest of the student body.

The Black Law Student Association is a student run club that includes members from diverse backgrounds; BLSA is dynamic and is dedicated to increasing diversity and communication amongst students and legal professionals. Our organization was formed in order to articulate and promote the needs of black law students, while effecting positive change in the legal community. By encouraging students to pursue careers in the judiciary, we hope to adopt and implement policies that will foster economic independence.

We promote social and academic interaction among Lewis &Clark Law School students interested in the various aspects of business, corporate and financial law. The BLS sponsors social activities, speakers, panel discussions, and other events that encourage members to interact with various legal practitioners in the community, faculty and staff, and local corporate counsel. Our goal is to enhance the legal education of our members and promote an inter-disciplinary curriculum in business, corporate and financial law.

CLS exists to inspire, encourage, and equip Christian lawyers and law students both individually and in community to proclaim, love and serve Jesus Christ through the study and practice of law, the provision of legal assistance to the poor and needy, and the defense of the inalienable rights to life and religious freedom. The Lewis & Clark Law School CLS Chapter is made up of students passionate about integrating their faith into the practice of law. CLS is open to all students who seek a welcoming community of faith-driven, future lawyers.

The Crime Victims’ Rights Alliance is dedicated to raising awareness and educating future lawyers about the issues related to crime victims advocacy. We aim to facilitate discussions about how to acknowledge and further the rights of crime victims. We hold many events throughout the school year on topics ranging from a victim’s right to privacy to the psychological traumas faced by victims of crimes.

The Data Privacy Group is a student-run organization that offers students the opportunity to learn more about Data Privacy and Security Law. As an emerging area of law, we hope to connect students with different opportunities and learning experiences to gain a better understanding of this exciting new field! Also, we are evening student friendly; all of our meetings and events will take into consideration evening student schedules.

The LC Disability Allied Law Students Association’s (LC-DALSA) purpose is to create accessible spaces on campus, provide much needed representation for differently-abled students at LC, and to organize students around disability rights. DALSA is Lewis and Clark’s affinity group for people who identify as differently abled and their allies. The group centers around physical disabilities, mental health, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, communication disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other impairments that may limit or substantially alter major life activities. Our goal is to deploy an intersectional and inclusive approach that is informed by the varied experiences that people with disabilities have based on their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, visibility of disability, religion, immigration status, ability and class. We seek to go beyond a medical diagnosis model and to focus on the different social and professional experiences of individuals with disabilities and how that relates to the study and practice of law. DALSA will work both independently and co-dependently with student groups and the LC Law administration to provide programming to educate the law school community about how disability is experienced by different groups of people and how that experience is codified by the law. DALSA aims to amplify the awareness of and people with disabilities in all areas of the law.

The Education Law Society seeks to educate and collaborate with the student body regarding lawyers’ roles in shaping the local and national education systems; to connect, learn from and collaborate with practicing education law attorneys and education officials; and to research and confront keystone legal issues related to our local and national education systems.

The Environmental Law Caucus (ELC is dedicated to educating the Lewis & Clark Law School community about environmental issues and fostering environmental stewardship, whether on or off campus. ELC plans several events, which include hiking, ivy pulls in Tryon Creek, the “Bike to Eugene Challenge,” and the fall Mushroom Hunt. We also provide transportation and lodging for the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference. So get your head out of the books and come joing the fun with ELC!

Family Law Society is a group of students interested in exploring, understanding and expanding the field of family law and its application in our communities. We come together to support each other in learning, and encourage each member’s integration into the family law field. Tapping into the vast network of dedicated, encouraging professionals in Portland and beyond, we volunteer for family law projects and mingle at family law functions. We are your family law resource pool here at Lewis & Clark.

The purpose of the Federal Bar Association Law Student Division at Lewis & Clark is to support the interests and needs of Lewis & Clark law students by increasing opportunities for networking and educational development, in addition to strengthening student interest and knowledge of the Federal legal system, both public and private. So as to maximize the relationships with the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, all members of the Division are encouraged to become members of the broader community’s Chapter in Portland.

The Federalist Society of Lewis & Clark Law School seeks to contribute political balance to legal education by providing a forum for legal experts of opposing views to interact with law students. The federalist society is one of the most influential student groups in the country. The group sponsors speakers who support judicial restraint (from activism), federalism, and the constitution generally, and sponsors free lunches for speeches and debates specifically. The group is apolitical and open to all legal topics for discussion.

The mission of the Food & Agriculture Law Society (formerly Food & Wine Law Society) is to provide an outlet for students to gain experience and understanding of current legal issues in food law and policy. To achieve these goals, FALS will aspire to provide students with connections in the professional Food Law field, instigate thoughtful discussions, panels, and events surrounding relevant topics in food and agriculture law, provide a means for students to engage with and volunteer in the local community, and act as a resource for students and community members interested in learning more about relevant concerns in the field.  

The Health Law Society (HLS) is dedicated to fostering a higher understanding of the law and its effect on medicine, health care, and health policy.  HLS seeks to provide opportunities for student engagement by hosting speakers, promoting health-related collaboration and professional growth opportunities, and meeting with attorneys and policy-makers in the health care field.

The Immigration Student Group (ISG) seeks to promote awareness and understanding of immigration issues within the United States and around the world.  ISG strongly encourages hands-on involvement with the immigrant community, and coordinates regular volunteer trips to detention centers to provide help to parents and children seeking asylum.  Throughout the year, ISG invites lecturers to speak about current events, holds donation drives, and shares volunteer opportunities.

IPSO is a group dedicated to all aspects of intellectual property, including the big three of Patent, Trademark and Copyright. This dynamic subject matter is relevant to many different interests and crosses many boundaries, so there’s no shortage of new and interesting topics for discussion. IPSO is the place for engaging in that discussion, whether one’s interest is in protecting artistic expression, technical innovation, or your image.

The International Law Society (ILS) at Lewis and Clark is a chapter of the International Law Students Association. The ILS follows the goal of the parent organization in seeking to promote international law; to encourage communication and cooperation among students and lawyers internationally; to contribute to legal education; to promote social responsibility in the field of law; to increase opportunities for students to learn about other cultures and legal systems worldwide; and to publicizing educational and career opportunities in international law.

Labor and Employment Law Society is dedicated to promoting student opportunities in employment law through informational programs, volunteer service events, and lively discussion of the latest employment law issues.

The Latinx Law Society is an organization comprised of Latino students and students who support the organization’s goals. The organization promotes: the recruitment and retention of Latino students; unity among the Latino students; and awareness and understanding in the law school and the community of perspectives, culture, heritage and issues concerning Latinos. Additionally, LLS provides a support system for its members. We are an equal opportunity organization, you do not need to be Latino to join just have an interest in Latino issues, culture and heritage

The Law and Science Society (LSS) is a group of students interested in the myriad ways that science and evidence-based approaches can be integrated into the legal field. We facilitate discussions, provide materials, and invite scientists, lawyers, and technology experts to discuss how we can utilize evidence and scientific reasoning to improve policies and the legal profession.

The Lewis & Clark Law School Animal Legal Defense Fund is a student group that strives to enhance the welfare and legal status of all nonhuman animals through education and advocacy. We provide opportunities for animal law pro bono work, community service, and activism, and we hold many informative and celebratory events throughout the year that promote critical thinking about animals’ various relationship to humans—companion animals, food, research subjects, entertainers, elements of biodiversity, etc.—and exploration of our legal duties to the animals in those relationships.

The Military and Veteran Law Society (MVLS) emphasizes supporting veterans and veteran students in two ways. First, MVLS seeks to promote student knowledge and awareness of veteran law and showcase how military issues intersect with a variety of other legal fields. Additionally, by exposing students to the unique obstacles that veterans face, MVLS hopes to introduce veteran law as a viable pro bono opportunity which students can incorporate into their future legal practices. Second, MVLS provides a community for veteran and current military students to find camaraderie with one another, build ties within the community, and discuss issues relevant to veterans

The National Lawyers Guild is national non-profit legal and political organization of lawyers, legal workers, law students and jailhouse lawyers. We represent progressive political movements, using the law to protect human rights above property interests and to attain social justice. If you want to organize against the death penalty, go out into the community to inform people of their rights by being a “Know Your Rights” trainer, be a presence in Portland activist community through legal observing, or just meet with progressive lawyers, we can make it happen.

The Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) would like to invite you to our next activity. NALSA is open to all members of the Lewis & Clark Community and looks forward to your participation! NALSA’s goals are to educate the Lewis & Clark Community about legal issues affecting Native American and Alaskan Native communities, promote the study of Federal Indian law, and encourage interaction with local tribes.

NEDC provides valuable hands-on experience for students seeking to enhance their education in environmental law. The NEDC staff is comprised of an Executive Director, Conservation Director, three Student Directors, and a Law Clerk who manage the daily obligations of the organization. The strength of the organization is the student volunteers. NEDC students work as members of one or more of the four project groups, including: Lands and Wildlife, Air, Water and Sustainable Agriculture. Project Group Coordinators are responsible for evaluating notices of proposed agency actions and requests for assistance from other environmental groups to determine whether NEDC should be involved in a given project.

Dedicated to the conservation and celebration of marine ecosystems, ORCA works to support legal research and outreach across the fields of international, environmental, and animal law, among others. Members will gain exposure to the complex web of oceanic legislation and litigation, marine mammal protection efforts, and an ocean’s worth of other interesting and important subjects related to the preservation of the world’s waters and their precious inhabitants.

OUTLAW provides a forum for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, questioning students and their allies to meet, exchange ideas, share experiences, and bring pertinent legal and political issues of the LGBT community to campus. We are committed to creating a community for diverse voices through political activism and social interaction, and welcome all students to join us.

PēPS aims to introduce students to the multifaceted world of estate planning. For those who envision practicing law in a challenging, complex field while developing lifelong, meaningful relationships with clients, estate planning could be the perfect fit. Drawing upon legal elements from a range of fields including property law, tax law, and family law, estate planning demands a wide legal knowledge. PēPS serves as an introduction to those who may be unfamiliar with this sometimes misunderstood area of law as well as a spring board for those who have already discovered estate planning and wish to grow their interest. Guest attorney panels, live probate hearings, and networking events all help to shine a light on the fascinating, impactful, and important field of estate planning.

PILP’s mission is to contribute to the public interest by financially supporting students and graduates who choose fulfilling careers working for the public good. Throughout the academic year the board and many hard-working volunteers hold fundraising events, culminating in the annual Auction. Annual events include Karaoke with professors and a Poker Tournament. The Auction takes place in March and preparation goes on all year. These fundraising efforts allow PILP to fund 10-15 students every summer to work in public interest. Summer stipend recipients have worked for a variety of organizations, dealing with issues such as children’s rights, environmental protection, domestic violence, and civil rights.

SABER is dedicated to promoting collaboration between environmental advocacy groups, governmental agencies and the business sector, in order to recognize the role each stakeholder plays in resolving issues pertinent to all. Because we believe that cooperation is the most effective solution to our common problems, We strive for balance among differing stakeholders’ views.

Students for Eliminating Environmental Discrimination’s (SEED) mission is to provide a forum to discuss environmental justice from intersectional perspectives. We strive to include voices from academic communities and beyond. Through our presence on the Lewis & Clark Law campus, SEED seeks to humanize our legal education by providing context for the social and historical sources of environmental injustice.

The mission of Students for International Environmental Law (SIEL) at Lewis & Clark Law School is to promote education and collaboration on issues of international environmental law within the community at the local, national, and global levels. SIEL will accomplish these goals by: sharing developments and promoting discussion; coordinating projects both internally and with other groups; hosting international law focused events; facilitating networking opportunities; and sharing information on careers in the international environmental law field.

Women in Criminal Law is a student-run organization that seeks to empower women and minorities to pursue careers in criminal law, a field that is historically underrepresented by these individuals. WICL is an open group that facilitates social events, on-campus speakers, panel discussions, and other events for students. We welcome all students who have an interest in criminal law and value diversity in the legal community. Our goal is to enhance the presence of criminal law on campus while providing a support system for our members.

The purpose of the Women’s Law Caucus is to bring together the community of Lewis and Clark Law students interested in exploring the wide spectrum of legal issues affecting women. The WLC promotes women in the law by providing support and encouragement to students, enhancing ties with the community, and empowering future female leaders who will work toward the advancement of women’s legal rights. All who are interested in advancing women’s legal rights and empowering females are welcome to join, regardless of gender.