About Us
We are dynamic and forward-thinking organization committed to making a positive impact on Oregon's legal community.
What We Do
The Mission of
OWLS Foundation?
The mission of the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation is to advance and enhance equity, inclusion and belonging in the Oregon legal profession and to promote access to justice for underserved people. The Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation is the 501(c)(3) sister organization to Oregon Women Lawyers.
Who We Are
The Need
Most new law graduates begin practice with enormous school loans accumulated through years of study. Although the exact data is somewhat difficult to pin down, there is no doubt that the great majority of recent law school grads have crushing student loans. Click here for more information.
The situation is even more difficult for those who are single parents or who lack any kind of family support. Even after graduation, there are more barriers to becoming a lawyer. The cost to take the Oregon Bar exam in just mandatory fees is hundreds of dollars. Prep courses for the exam cost thousands of dollars. To make matters worse, many graduates are not finding law-related jobs, and despite what we see on television, only a handful of lawyers earn large salaries. New lawyers with enormous student loans pose a barrier to access to justice, as they cannot volunteer their services to gain needed experience, work in the lowest-paying legal positions or move to underserved geographic regions.
Totall Dollars Raised
Grants Given
Our Awesome Team
Our Awesome Team
Meet Our Dedicated Foundation Board Officers
Meet Our Dedicated Foundation Board Officers
Julie Preciado
President
Bio
Julie Preciado joined the OWLS Foundation board in 2020. She has her own law practice. Julie received her JD, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law. During law school she completed an externship with Chief Justice Martha Walters, an internship with the Honorable Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta, a clerkship with the US Attorney’s Office, and an externship with LASO’s Taxpayer Clinic. Julie served as the Region XVI Regional Student Representative for the Hispanic National Bar Association and as the Willamette Student Representative to the American Bar Association. She currently serves as Co-President of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association.
Julie Preciado
President
Bio
Julie Preciado joined the OWLS Foundation board in 2020. She has her own law practice. Julie received her JD, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law. During law school she completed an externship with Chief Justice Martha Walters, an internship with the Honorable Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta, a clerkship with the US Attorney’s Office, and an externship with LASO’s Taxpayer Clinic. Julie served as the Region XVI Regional Student Representative for the Hispanic National Bar Association and as the Willamette Student Representative to the American Bar Association. She currently serves as Co-President of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association.
Julie Preciado
President
Bio
Julie Preciado joined the OWLS Foundation board in 2020. She has her own law practice. Julie received her JD, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law. During law school she completed an externship with Chief Justice Martha Walters, an internship with the Honorable Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta, a clerkship with the US Attorney’s Office, and an externship with LASO’s Taxpayer Clinic. Julie served as the Region XVI Regional Student Representative for the Hispanic National Bar Association and as the Willamette Student Representative to the American Bar Association. She currently serves as Co-President of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association.
Leona Yazdidoust
President-elect
Bio
Leona Yazdidoust joined the OWLS Foundation Board in 2023. She graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2023 with a certificate in Public Interest Law. As a law student, she was active in a variety of organizations, including serving as president of the Oregon Arab Iranian Law Student Association, and as Communications Coordinator for Phi Alpha Delta. She is a 2022-23 recipient of the OWLS Foundation’s Armonica Law Student Grant. She currently serves on the boards of Oregon Women Lawyers and Queen’s Bench, the Multnomah County Chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers. She is an associate attorney at Elevate Law Group.
Leona Yazdidoust
President-elect
Bio
Leona Yazdidoust joined the OWLS Foundation Board in 2023. She graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2023 with a certificate in Public Interest Law. As a law student, she was active in a variety of organizations, including serving as president of the Oregon Arab Iranian Law Student Association, and as Communications Coordinator for Phi Alpha Delta. She is a 2022-23 recipient of the OWLS Foundation’s Armonica Law Student Grant. She currently serves on the boards of Oregon Women Lawyers and Queen’s Bench, the Multnomah County Chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers. She is an associate attorney at Elevate Law Group.
Leona Yazdidoust
President-elect
Bio
Leona Yazdidoust joined the OWLS Foundation Board in 2023. She graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2023 with a certificate in Public Interest Law. As a law student, she was active in a variety of organizations, including serving as president of the Oregon Arab Iranian Law Student Association, and as Communications Coordinator for Phi Alpha Delta. She is a 2022-23 recipient of the OWLS Foundation’s Armonica Law Student Grant. She currently serves on the boards of Oregon Women Lawyers and Queen’s Bench, the Multnomah County Chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers. She is an associate attorney at Elevate Law Group.
Trudy Allen
Secretary/Historian
Bio
Trudy Allen first joined the OWLS Foundation Board as Historian in 1999 and is also now the Secretary. She served on the Queen’s Bench Board for 11 years (President twice) and on the OWLS Board for 7 years (Historian for 5 years). She has retired from the practice of law, where most recently she was General Counsel of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, a division of U.S. Bank. In addition to her current volunteer service for the OWLS Foundation, she is doing volunteer work for the Oregon Women Judges project, a joint effort between Oregon Women Lawyers and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society to compile information on all the women who have served as judges in Oregon. She received her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1982 and her B.S. from Penn State in 1972.
Trudy Allen
Secretary/Historian
Bio
Trudy Allen first joined the OWLS Foundation Board as Historian in 1999 and is also now the Secretary. She served on the Queen’s Bench Board for 11 years (President twice) and on the OWLS Board for 7 years (Historian for 5 years). She has retired from the practice of law, where most recently she was General Counsel of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, a division of U.S. Bank. In addition to her current volunteer service for the OWLS Foundation, she is doing volunteer work for the Oregon Women Judges project, a joint effort between Oregon Women Lawyers and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society to compile information on all the women who have served as judges in Oregon. She received her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1982 and her B.S. from Penn State in 1972.
Trudy Allen
Secretary/Historian
Bio
Trudy Allen first joined the OWLS Foundation Board as Historian in 1999 and is also now the Secretary. She served on the Queen’s Bench Board for 11 years (President twice) and on the OWLS Board for 7 years (Historian for 5 years). She has retired from the practice of law, where most recently she was General Counsel of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, a division of U.S. Bank. In addition to her current volunteer service for the OWLS Foundation, she is doing volunteer work for the Oregon Women Judges project, a joint effort between Oregon Women Lawyers and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society to compile information on all the women who have served as judges in Oregon. She received her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1982 and her B.S. from Penn State in 1972.
Stefyni Allen
Treasurer
Bio
Stefyni Allen joined the Foundation Board in 2020 and has been a member of Oregon Women Lawyers since graduating from law school in 2010. Stefyni is an attorney-mediator and parent coordinator at The Collaborative Way LLC. Her mediation work is primarily court connected custody and parenting time mediation for Yamhill, Polk and Marion Counties. She does parent coordination work statewide. Stefyni received her JD from the Willamette University College of Law and her BA from UC Davis, where she studied sociology.
Stefyni Allen
Treasurer
Bio
Stefyni Allen joined the Foundation Board in 2020 and has been a member of Oregon Women Lawyers since graduating from law school in 2010. Stefyni is an attorney-mediator and parent coordinator at The Collaborative Way LLC. Her mediation work is primarily court connected custody and parenting time mediation for Yamhill, Polk and Marion Counties. She does parent coordination work statewide. Stefyni received her JD from the Willamette University College of Law and her BA from UC Davis, where she studied sociology.
Stefyni Allen
Treasurer
Bio
Stefyni Allen joined the Foundation Board in 2020 and has been a member of Oregon Women Lawyers since graduating from law school in 2010. Stefyni is an attorney-mediator and parent coordinator at The Collaborative Way LLC. Her mediation work is primarily court connected custody and parenting time mediation for Yamhill, Polk and Marion Counties. She does parent coordination work statewide. Stefyni received her JD from the Willamette University College of Law and her BA from UC Davis, where she studied sociology.
The Board
Advisory Board
The following individuals serve on the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation Advisory Board.
How Do We Help
Grants: Our Initiative That Drives Change
Although the Foundation is not currently able to assist law students with tuition, through the Armonica Law Student Grant and the Vernellia R. Randall Bar Exam Grant some financial help and mentoring is available to law students for textbooks and parents studying for the Oregon bar exam. In addition, the Foundation partners with the Multnomah Bar Association's Bar Fellows Program to fund a paid summer internship at St. Andrew Legal Clinic for a student who has completed their first year of law school.
The need for financial assistance doesn’t always end when lawyers become established in their practice. Unexpected medical problems can arise, making it difficult for solo or small-firm practitioners to meet expenses. The Janis Hardman Medical Support Grant is available to assist in a modest way with expenses relating to a short-term disabling medical condition.
On a happier note, the Justice Betty Roberts Leadership Conference Grant helps emerging leaders in bar associations and nonprofit organizations develop the skills they need by funding opportunities to participate in leadership conferences.
In addition to funding the grants described, the Foundation supports the educational work of Oregon Women Lawyers and other Oregon bar associations.
Only with the full and effective participation of all lawyers will we be able to meet the legal needs of Oregonians. The Foundation is one partner in the effort to meet those needs.
Donate and Make a Difference
Donate and Make a Difference