Challenge
Oregon faces a severe public defense crisis, with more than 3,500 individuals charged with crimes but without legal representation. Retaining public defenders who are overwhelmed by high caseloads and inadequate support has been difficult. Many new lawyers entering the field are unprepared for the demands of the job, leading to burnout and high turnover.
Approach
Oregon-based law schools collaborated on a $2 million request to support law school misdemeanor clinics, aimed at addressing both the unrepresented crisis and the need for better training of future lawyers. These clinics would allow law students to gain hands-on experience representing individuals charged with misdemeanors under the guidance of experienced hands. This not only helps students develop practical skills but also would help ease the burden on the public defense system, allowing more experienced public defenders to focus on felony cases.
Success
CFM, representing the Lewis and Clark Law School, played a crucial role in securing the $2 million allocation for law school misdemeanor clinics during the 2024 Oregon legislative session. We worked closely with legislative leadership to highlight the importance of experiential learning for law students and the pressing need to address the state’s public defense crisis as the legislature considered changes to make drug possession a misdemeanor. Lewis and Clark Law School students began taking cases this fall and will continue their year-long externship through June. Students at Lewis and Clark Law School are slated to take up to 250 misdemeanor cases annually. The Law School plans to advocate for continued funding for the program in the 2025 session with the help of CFM.
