New Pathways to Admission – CLE (ID 98009) |
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Join the Oregon Affinity Bar’s to discuss the new pathways to admission with Joanna Perini-Abbott and Kendra M. Matthews. In January 2022, the Oregon Supreme Court approved in concept two pathways to licensure in addition to the bar exam. The idea of giving applicants choice between pathways to demonstrate their competence to practice law is at the cutting edge of licensure reform that is sweeping bars (and other professions) across the US.Oregon is now in the process of building the specifics of the two programs. In each, the Board of Bar Examiners will be tasked with reviewing a portfolio of work-product designed to ensure the applicants’ competence to practice before the applicant will be admitted to practice. In one pathway, that Board review will be accompanied by a period of “supervised practice” with a licensed Oregon Lawyer. In the other, the review will be accompanied by the applicant completing a carefully crafted law school curriculum focused on experiential learning.Come hear about the two pathways and engage in an open dialogue to provide feedback to help shape these programs. |
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Joanna Perini-Abbott (Jo) is a principal at Angeli Law Group. She began her career as a federal public defender and then transitioned to a large law firm practicing civil litigation. Now her practice combines large, high stakes civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. She is also still active in taking appointed public defense cases from the federal courts. She has been on the Board of Bar Examiners for the past 6 years and was vice chair and chair through 2020 and 2021 as the COVID pandemic hit. In 2021 she was the chair to the Alternatives to the Exam Task Force in 2021. Following approval by the Oregon Supreme Court in concept of the two proposed additional pathways to licensure, Jo was appointed as chair of the Licensing Pathways Development Committee tasked with building the specifics of the two additional pathways.
Kendra M. Matthews is a partner at Boise Matthews Donegan LLP. After attending Georgetown University Law Center and clerking for the Honorable Rex Armstrong of the Oregon Court of Appeals, Kendra joined what was then known as Ransom Blackman LLP as an associate in 1998. A partner since 2005, one focus of her practice is appellate litigation. She also regularly represents individuals and entities in criminal investigations and cases in both state and federal court, along with professionals in disciplinary proceedings before licensing boards. Kendra began grading Bar Examinations in 2016, joined the Board of Bar Examiners in 2019, and chaired the Board from 2021 through 2022. She served on the Alternatives to the Exam Task Force in 2021, and currently serves on the Licensing Pathways Development Committee, which has been tasked with outlining the specifics of the proposed additional pathways to admission. |