Lisa LeSage is a Senior Legal Educator Advisor in the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA-ROLI), working on programs involving legal education, international rule of law and human rights. Prior to joining ABA-ROLI in December of 2011 she served as Associate Dean and Director of Business Law programs at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where, among many other activities she founded the law school’s Small Business Legal Clinic and taught a trial practice course. In addition to her teaching and program administration duties at Lewis & Clark, she also oversaw the law school’s four business law practical skills programs, including the Community Development Law Center Practicum and Clinical Internship Seminars: Corporate Counsel/IP and Center for Technology, Entrepreneurship and Law. In addition, she was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship in law in Santiago, Chile for the 2010 academic year.

Prior to her ABA-ROLI and Lewise & Clark Law School positions, Lisa had an extensive complex civil litigation practice in state and federal courts, including civil racketeering, civil rights, and employment cases. She also has held several leadership positions and participated on numerous boards, including the statewide Access to Justice Committee, former Vice President of the Oregon State Bar, and a Past President of the Oregon Law Foundation. She has spoken around the country on issues related to access to justice, business law, clinical education, and pro bono and is now pursuing her passion for public service internationally.

Lisa Lesage is a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States District Court for the District of Oregon, and the Oregon State Bar. She holds a B.A from the University of Portland, a J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, and is currently a candidate for a 2015 LLM in International Human Rights from the University of London.