Ashley Hamilton, a first-year student at the law school, has always been interested in social justice and equity.  

Before attending Oregon Law, she graduated with a major in political science a minor in philosophy from the University of Washington. After completing her undergraduate degree, Hamilton was a litigation legal assistant for a personal injury law firm in Seattle. She says that law school became a real possibility for her as her professional career developed.  

“I started as a file clerk and eventually became a litigation legal assistant,” Hamilton said. “With each career development, the exposure to the influence and necessity of law was profound. The law interests me because it is the foundation for social interaction and, through that, positive social change.”  

As a recipient of the Jeffrey Beaver scholarship, Hamilton shares that her legal education at Oregon Law will help her in the pursuit of developing access to social justice. 

She points to the school’s legal research and writing and the school’s commitment to public service as big draws for her when making her final decision to attend. 

“I wanted to develop my legal writing skills and UO has very highly ranked legal writing program,” Hamilton said. “At this stage, I am most interested in public service and the Public Policy Concentration.” 

While she hasn’t determined the "best fit" for her future career, Hamilton says that the scholarship will help her in the journey to discovering her professional path. 

“I am extremely grateful to be the recipient of the scholarship,” Hamilton said. “This is a wonderful opportunity. Receiving a scholarship is a relief and motivation to keep my energy focused on legal studies.” 

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