QuestLaw Mission Statement

Now in its 16th year, QuestLaw (formerly GLOBAL) provides a forum for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, questioning students and their allies to meet, exchange ideas, share experiences, and bring pertinent legal and political issues of the LGBT community to campus.

To that end, QuestLaw has presented speakers and sponsored events on campus to address issues relevant to gay, lesbian, bisexual and questioning students. QuestLaw works actively with the Oregon Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association (OGALLA) to provide mentors who will counsel law students on their academic endeavors and introduce them to Oregon’s professional legal community. Through their mentors, QuestLaw members have volunteered their time to perform legal research analyzing the constitutionality of Oregon statutes in light of recent court decisions affecting same-sex domestic partner benefits.

On a very local note, thanks to efforts by QuestLaw, Lewis and Clark College now offers domestic partner benefits through our insurance plan.

QuestLaw was also able to help bring to campus our first law class that directly addresses LGBT issues: the sexual orientation and gender identity class, taught by B. Allen. This was in large part due to the efforts of QuestLaw.

Another important event is the Lavender Law Conference. This conference introduces students to emerging legal issues that affect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Previous issues addressed at the conferences included immigration asylum, same-sex marriage and domestic partner benefits, the Defense of Marriage Act, employment discrimination, and health care issues. Lewis and Clark has been underrepresented at this event in the past.

QuestLaw organizes teams each year to participate in Cascade AIDS Project’s AIDS Walk. We’ve consistently raised money to contribute toward this organization’s efforts to provide housing, health care and counseling for people living with HIV and AIDS as well as educational activities for young people in our community.

QuestLaw members have worked tirelessly to rally Oregon voters in opposition to public initiatives aimed at discriminating against Oregonians because of their sexual orientation. Recently, members’ efforts helped defeat an initiative that would have prohibited any reference to homosexuality in materials or instruction in Oregon schools.

Unlike other organizations on campus that may exist to serve only their own members, QuestLaw's mission is directed at the law school community as a whole. QuestLaw integrates, rather than isolates the gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning students and their friends and supporters into the greater law school community by promoting diversity and tolerance. Last year, the Lewis and Clark GLBT community was subject to several homophobic postings placed all over campus alleging “Harmful Aspects of the Homosexual Lifestyle.” Through our work, we hope to help break down some of these negative stereotypes by being visible and active. Consequently, our events are usually directed at the entire law school community and not just our 50 members.

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