Growing up in Indiana, Faith O’Malley JD’24 never imagined herself as an attorney. Her perception of lawyers was shaped by TV shows like Law & Order, and she didn’t think she had the typical 'lawyer personality' portrayed on screen. However, she always had a deep desire to help others and fight for justice.
O’Malley attended Niagara University for her undergraduate degree where she was a member of the Division I diving team. Though diving was a central focus, she still found time to earn a degree in international studies alongside minors in religious studies, Africana studies, and natural sciences. A year after graduating, O’Malley moved to Portland, Oregon with the intention of earning her master’s degree in public administration. Just days before the semester began, she made the decision to withdraw from the program, a choice that would change her life's course and set her on a path to find her true passion and purpose.
After working a few odd jobs, O’Malley ended up working in fundraising. This appealed to her desire to help other people. Volunteering for Catholic Charities' refugee resettlement division sparked the idea of becoming an attorney in O'Malley's mind. Watching attorneys make phone calls, fill out paperwork, and guide newly arriving refugees through difficult and often tumultuous situations made her realize that being an attorney involved more than just arguing in court. This felt like something she could really do, and it helped that she could actually change people’s lives.
Having witnessed the impacts of immigration firsthand, with both her parents immigrating to the United States from England, O’Malley was immediately drawn to the idea of becoming an immigration attorney. She reached out to a local attorney in Portland and began to more seriously pursue the idea of going to law school. But it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took four more years for her to eventually apply to law school.
“When you are out of school and working full time, it is hard to take such a big leap,” O’Malley shares, “but I couldn’t get the idea out of my head and eventually I just dove in head first and applied.”
As she had developed a love for Oregon over the years, O'Malley felt immediately drawn to the idea of attending Willamette Law. Hearing about her friend’s experience at the law school solidified her decision. She says, “my friend was talking about how positive the experience at Willamette Law had been, and it didn’t sound like any other law school. All of the things that can be scary about law school weren’t the case at Willamette.”
That's exactly what she has found to be true throughout her nearly three years at Willamette Law. Finding support and encouragement from mentors, faculty, and fellow students, the experience has been nothing short of positive.
Being a student and an advocate
Growing as both a student and an advocate for others, O’Malley’s time at law school has been a shining example of her dedication to fighting for justice for others. One experience she is particularly proud of is co-founding the Immigration Law Association during her 1L year alongside classmate Emma Gill JD’24. The student organization has helped to raise visibility for immigration law both on campus and in the local community through a series of successful speaker and pro bono events.
Involvement in WUPILP also combined a few of O’Malley’s skills and interests — public service, law, and fundraising. As the auction chair for the 2022-2023 academic year, she was able to use her fundraising expertise to both help the WUPILP board bring in more money than years prior and also set up systems to make the auction more streamlined and sustainable for future law students.
During her 2L and 3L years, O'Malley prioritized finding opportunities for legal volunteer work, but she quickly realized the numerous roadblocks. It was tough to find organizations to work with as many local public interest firms did not have pro bono opportunities for law students.
“It is a disservice to students, but also to the greater community, when there are a number of unnecessary obstacles in place preventing people from volunteering,” O’Malley shares. She knew that she had the ability to change that. By joining the Pro Bono Honors Program, and later advocating for and serving in the role of Pro Bono Chair of WUPILP, O’Malley created volunteer opportunities for students and local organizations, better serving the community.
In fact, nearly a week after Associate Dean for Career Planning & Development Tomas Hernandez started at Willamette Law, he had a knock on his door from O’Malley ready to talk about the Pro Bono Honors Program. Immediately, he could see that not only was she deeply passionate about serving others, but she also was one of the rare students who was willing to roll up her sleeves and get things done.
“She is tenacious, takes initiative, and has a heart of gold,” shares Hernandez, “It is the perfect combination for getting real work done.”
While O’Malley’s dedication to helping others while also setting up systems that are sustainable for future students to carry on her work after graduation is evident, she has also committed herself to embracing every opportunity in law school she possibly could. While she came to law school intending to pursue immigration law, the experiences she has had opened her eyes to the plethora of other opportunities to combine her law degree with her dedication to helping others. In addition to spending her first summer doing immigration law at SOAR Immigration Legal Services, she has explored everything from appellate work at Stern Law, to general public interest law at Portland State University’s Student Legal Services, to federal public policy work at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, and civil rights law practice at LeDuc Montgomery, LLC.
Looking ahead
As O'Malley's time in law school nears an end, she has certainly left her mark at the school. Her advocacy for more pro bono opportunities, new courses around serving vulnerable populations, and building sustainable systems for student organizations will leave a legacy.
Hernandez shares “Faith exemplifies a commitment to public service, paving the way for future students to benefit from her leadership.”
O’Malley intends to stay in Oregon after graduation, to hopefully work in civil rights practice, and to continue advocating for others and volunteering when possible. While she has made a lasting impact at Willamette Law, Hernandez knows without a doubt that she will make a difference as an attorney as well.
“She is destined to be a great attorney. With her positive attitude and genuine commitment to helping others, the future is only positive for Faith and I can’t wait to see what she does,” says Hernandez.
Now, O’Malley has graduated from Willamette Law and has started working in her dream role at LeDuc Montgomery, LLC as one of the first Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) Fellows. She remains committed to both participating in and encouraging pro bono work and was recently appointed to serve on the Multnomah Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section’s Pro Bono Committee. As she prepares to attend her first committee meeting in the coming weeks, O’Malley is already thinking about how she can encourage young lawyers to consider pro bono work.
