When Emily Grimmius JD’24 was in the fourth grade, she knew that one day she would go to law school. A voracious reader as a child, she found herself reading stories about United States presidents and being in awe of their importance and impact. To her knowledge, many of them had one thing in common — they went to law school. If Grimmius wanted to one day become an elected official and fight injustice, then first she would need to go to law school.
After graduating from the University of Washington for her undergraduate studies, Grimmius moved to California to work in marketing for a retirement facility. While she was inspired by people’s stories and enjoyed the work, her eyes were open to how some of the most vulnerable people in society were treated. Feeling as though she wanted to make a difference for elders, she was inspired to finally apply to law school.
The fact that Willamette Law was directly across the street from the Oregon State Capitol was a primary reason that Grimmius chose to enroll in the law school. She shares “I wanted to be where laws are made. The small law school community was an added bonus, and the ability to make my education my own is what sealed the deal.”
Since arriving at law school, Grimmius has been involved in advocacy and volunteer work, pursuing her passion for fighting injustice. When she heard about the work being done by Restraining Orders Without Borders, she felt called to get involved. She sent a message on Instagram offering to help with anything she could. A year later, the organization’s founder called her directly asking her to lead their advocacy efforts. At the time, the organization was working to pass the Restraining Orders Without Borders' Survivor Protection Act, Grimmius’ legal knowledge made her the perfect choice for the Oregon Policy Director position.
Grimmius was inspired to help when she heard stories from the Restraining Orders Without Borders founder, and other survivors of sexual and domestic violence. After all, she entered law school to help fight injustice and now there was an opportunity to do just that while putting her law school experience to use. It helped that she could build upon her experience clerking at the Oregon State Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Division.
“As soon as I accepted the position, I got to work lobbying and drafting the amendments for the Restraining Orders Without Borders' Survivor Protection Act,” says Grimmius.
The legislation expands the opportunities for where victims are eligible to obtain restraining orders to now include the county in which the abuse occurred. Individuals fleeing violence and abuse situations will be positively impacted by this change in law. The law works to ensure that all abuse victims are protected. Grimmius shares, “While Oregon did define residency broadly, the law was still relying on a judicial discretion for victims to receive a protective order. Now, the law can help guarantee an added layer of protection for victims.”
The path to change
Getting the Restraining Orders Without Borders' Survivor Protection Act passed unanimously through both the Oregon House of Representatives and the Senate was no easy feat. Grimmius spent time visiting offices and scheduling meetings with legislators, wrote letters to representatives to garner support for the bill. While initially the bill did not have bipartisan support, Grimmius focused her effort on drafting the arguments for the bill to earn bipartisan support.
“It is almost unheard of in Oregon, and many other states, for a bill to receive unanimous, bipartisan support,” shares Grimmius. She credits that mainly to the fact that most people can agree that victims need as much protection as possible. Her unwavering dedication to getting the bill passed also helped.
Between classes, and in her free time, Grimmius sent emails to legislators, taking meetings, and walking through the halls of the Capitol building to speak to anyone who would listen. She also took feedback from others and used it to inform her numerous drafts of the final bill.
Throughout the entire process, Willamette Law faculty supported Grimmius and her dedication. She was in Professor Norman Williams’ election law course throughout the time she was working on the legislation. The course, she shares, is a masterclass in analyzing state politics and getting to take the course alongside working on the bill was a highlight of law school for Grimmius. A class on Drafting Public Law in the spring of 2023, taught by a member of the Oregon Legislative Counsel’s office, also gave her the tools she needed to be able to draft a bill. Throughout the process of drafting the bill, she found her professors overwhelmingly supportive of her when she needed to take time away from class to take meetings at the capitol.
When Grimmius first heard that the bill passed unanimously, she was in disbelief. Even after some time has passed, it hasn’t felt quite real to her. She reflects that, “there aren’t any words for how exactly I feel and what this accomplishment means for both me personally, but more importantly, for the many victims this will help.”
While she feels immensely proud of this accomplishment, Grimmius is already focused on what she can accomplish during her career. After law school, she reflects that the experience of working on this bill as a law student “made me realize that I am capable of even more than I thought.” After working in the United States Senate, Emily is now an Assistant District Attorney in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. She works directly with crime victims and those most in need, hoping to make a change for both individuals and the country at large.
Grimmius encourages future law students to take advantage of being right across the street from the state capitol, to read about the law but also, walk across the street and see it in action. She also hopes that future students don’t let imposter syndrome prevent them from getting involved. She offers, “put yourself in situations where you can have conversations about the changes you want made, and also put yourself in situations where you can create that change.”
By passing Restraining Orders Without Borders' Survivor Protection Act, Grimmius hopes it will help countless victims in Oregon. She also hopes that it inspires future law students to use their education and abilities to create change, starting even when they are in law school.
