After more than a decade of shaping future lawyers through innovative teaching, experiential learning, and mentorship, Associate Clinical Professor Kristie Gibson has been named faculty director of the University of Oregon School of Law's Business Law Program.
Gibson brings deep experience in business law education and a strong commitment to preparing students for the realities of legal practice. Through hands-on simulations, transactional law competitions, and experiential coursework, she has helped multiple classes of students build the practical skills and professional confidence needed to succeed in the field.
Under Gibson's guidance, Oregon Law students have earned repeated success in prestigious competitions, gaining valuable real-world experience while representing the law school on a national stage.
Honored for Her Teaching Impact
In recognition of her impact as an educator, Gibson received Oregon Law's highest teaching honor, the Orlando John Hollis Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, in 2025.
"Kristie’s outstanding teaching, practical insight, and innovative thinking are an ideal combination for this role. I look forward to seeing her increase the impact of the program and create even more opportunities for students to connect their legal education with the world of practice," said Dean Jennifer W. Reynolds.
Gibson’s leadership experience includes serving as director of the LLM program, as a supervising attorney for the Business Law Clinic, and manager for the Business Law Program.
Growing Outreach and Expanding Opportunities
As faculty director, Gibson plans to strengthen connections between students and the business law community by expanding opportunities to engage with practicing attorneys through workshops, lecture series, presentations, and competition programs.
She is also developing a micro-credential for legal professionals focused on the effective use of artificial intelligence in transactional law practice, reflecting the program’s continued commitment to innovation and evolving practice needs.
“We have a lot of talent in our community. Through our business law curriculum, business law fellowships, practice-focused extracurricular opportunities, and the depth and breadth of our faculty’s research and scholarship, we have a robust set of offerings for our students, and I only envision that growing,” Gibson said.
Gibson will lead a program supported by a distinguished faculty whose expertise spans a broad range of business law disciplines. With seven concentrations and a strong emphasis on experiential learning, the Business Law Program offers students different pathways through which they can build a foundation for practice across diverse areas of the field.
As it expands into key practice areas such as intellectual property, the Business Law Program remains dedicated to providing students with a broad and immersive business law education, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to thrive in the legal profession.