Distressed by the Vietnam War and wanting to advocate on behalf of those being drafted into combat, Marcia Mellinger, JD ’74 applied to law school. 

Upon arriving at Oregon Law, Mellinger remembers a growing trend of women in her cohort of first-year law students. With three women in the third-year class, twelve women in the second-year class, and over twice that number in her cohort, Mellinger and her peers found strength in growing numbers. “Instead of just being outliers, we had a cadre,” she said.

During this period of American history, fulfilling careers for women in the field of law were limited. “At the time, the female lawyers I knew were only able to get jobs as legal secretaries, Mellinger said. “This was usually because clients didn’t want to have a woman representing them.” 

Mellinger added, “We thought if we got together and brainstormed some ideas of how we could change that and get some wisdom from some of the female attorneys who were already practicing law, we could share that with our colleagues.”

Together the group came up with the Oregon Women’s Law Forum (WLF). “We liked the idea of a forum,” Mellinger explained. “It seemed like a good description of getting together and kind of having a target of what we wanted to do, one of which was trying to make all of us feel more comfortable being in law school.” She continued, “We welcomed anyone who wanted to be in the group and operated intentionally instead of hierarchically.” 

During the first few years, WLF members met regularly with practicing female lawyers they identified as mentors, “We invited all of the women lawyers in Oregon to Eugene for a get together so they could give us some insights about their journeys,” Mellinger said. “We hosted them in our homes, and they were great sports.” 

While recounting the beginning of this transformative movement, Mellinger credits WLF as helping to pave and shape opportunities for women lawyers and women practicing law as we know it today.  The experience kickstarted Mellinger’s career working at Legal Services in Seattle advocating on behalf of underrepresented and underserved populations. 

Today, WLF remains an active student organization at Oregon Law driven by a mission to support not only women, but all underrepresented students in the law school community. During this academic year, WLF hosted a networking social with OWLS Lane County Women Lawyers, organized a fundraiser for the Hope and Safety Alliance, and welcomed a panel of esteemed women employed in the legal field as part of a week-long celebration during Women’s History Month. 

Class of 2026 JD candidate Savannah Ceballos leads the group as its current president. “Membership in WLF helps me feel empowered as a woman and gives me a sense of community in a male-dominated profession,” Ceballos said. “Being on the WLF board has given me the experience of leading a professional organization, working with leaders in our community, and planning events that are engaging and fun for our members.”

Ceballos plans to specialize in employment law and estate planning. “I am gaining the tools to advocate for justice, fight for the rights of others, and support marginalized and underrepresented communities,” she said. 

Second-year law student and WLF past president Madeline Sorensen feels similarly. “WLF membership to me means a safe and inclusive space for all. I personally have met so many amazing people through WLF and those friendships have continued outside of the organization,” she said. Sorensen’s aspirations include being a plaintiff-side employment lawyer in the Pacific Northwest focusing on sexual harassment and gender discrimination claims. 

Like Mellinger, Ceballos and Sorensen cite many of the benefits of belonging to WLF—having a sense of community, a safe space, and building relationships and connections with professionals in the legal field. “The benefits of joining WLF are endless—the beauty of WLF is that it can be whatever you make it, and you get out what you put in,” Sorensen said. “If you want to network more, WLF offers that. If you want an organization that offers group workout classes, WLF offers that. If you simply want a place to go to be heard at school, WLF has that as well.”