We our Clerks!

My clerkship was filled with experiential opportunities in the legal field that most law school courses are unable to provide. The whole team is extremely helpful and I have never been in a more healthy workplace environment! I especially appreciate how The Commons focuses on attorney personability with clients, which the legal profession can always use more of. Overall, I have been very lucky to intern with The Commons and I encourage any other law students who can take advantage of this opportunity to do so.

Being a law clerk at The Commons Law Center has greatly advanced my understanding of the legal field. There were ample opportunities to learn and practice important legal skills through drafting, researching, trial prep, or interacting with clients to name a few. The Commons genuinely want their law clerks to grow from their experience. They worked with me to make that happen over the past two summers.

My experience at the Commons Law Center has been absolutely amazing! I participated in legal research, engaged with clients, and conducted witness interviews for a client’s upcoming trial. I also took part in non-legal areas of the job, which allowed me to learn about the operational aspect of a non-profit law firm. From everyone at the Commons, I learned to build professional relationships with clients, and I witnessed how zealous advocacy can make a powerful, positive impact on the clients’ legal outcome. I’m extremely grateful for my time at the Commons, and I encourage anyone interested to join this amazing team!

The Commons Law Center is a great option for law students to get a real world view on what it takes to run a law practice. As a law clerk, I gained valuable experience in client intake, the discovery process, drafting pleadings and trial memos, interacting cordially with opposing counsel, and most importantly, keeping in focus the impact of our work in the lives of those who would not be able to access legal help without The Commons.

Working there is the perfect balance between having an awesome support team and also being expected to take the initiative and work independently. It definitely increased my confidence going into my future career as an attorney. Also, The Commons Law Center is technology forward-something that I noticed is not common in law firms and that I will bring with me into practice. There is a lot to gain by clerking here, definitely would recommend to both first time or experienced law clerks.

Working at The Commons has been my first real experience with a career in the legal field, and I feel that it has aided my understanding of the work involved more so than any of my classwork has thus far. Even as an undergraduate intern, I was given opportunities to interact with clients, attend hearings, do legal research, and draft documents. Amanda and Michaela were very supportive and imparted a lot of knowledge which has helped develop my interest in the field. 

I really appreciate that The Commons is focused on your growth and development as a law student. Their passion for helping others and bettering their community drives this organization. This is a very hands-on experience: law clerks are given the opportunity to work directly with clients, attend courtroom proceedings, and draft pleadings, all while receiving valuable feedback and support from attorneys. The clerkship position exposes law students to different practice areas and also provides networking opportunities through the board members and pro bono partners. You do not want to pass up this unique opportunity, especially if you have interest in family law practice. 

I learned more during my summer at The Commons than I did during my whole first year of law school. It was very satisfying seeing how the work I did, the pleadings that I drafted, progressed our clients through the legal system and slowly bettered their lives. I started the summer wanting to get hands-on experience, and I feel like I have a whole new idea of what it actually means to be an attorney working for the public interest. 

With The Commons Law Center, I received invaluable practical legal experience in a variety of different practice areas. Throughout my summer, I conducted legal research and drafted pleadings as well as other legal documents under the supervision of Michaela and Amanda. Michaela and Amanda were available to provide feedback and I grew exponentially as a legal researcher and writer. Further, The Commons has allowed me to become comfortable working with the multitude of rules and codes that are relevant to civil practice in Oregon. I would recommend a clerkship with The Commons to any law student. 

Every day of my summer clerkship was spent on substantive legal projects, interacting with clients, and receiving guidance from an amazing set of attorneys. No matter which area of law you want to practice, a clerkship at The Commons will provide invaluable, real-world lawyering experience.