Drew Eyman (’16) Clerks at the Oregon Supreme Court
After honing his skills in internships and moot court competitions, the Class of 2016 alum begins his career clerking for the Hon. Rives Kistler.
After graduating from the University of Oregon, Drew Eyman (’16) made the over 3,000-mile trip to begin his studies at Boston University School of Law. After graduation, he moved back to Oregon, and began his career with the state’s Supreme Court as a law clerk to the Hon. Rives Kistler.
Like other state high courts, the Oregon Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction, meaning half of Eyman’s job requires evaluating petitions for review, analyzing the assignment of error in each petition, and then recommending by memo whether and why the court should allow review. The other half of his work consists of drafting, researching, and editing opinions for the court.
“Because the court can only hear so many cases, it is not typically in the business of simple error correction,” Eyman says. “Instead, it is more concerned with broader considerations, such as whether the assignment of error raises a novel issue of law or whether the area of law appears to be unsettled or unclear.”
Eyman served as a judicial extern for Justice Kistler following his first year at BU, and credits his network with helping him connect with the court. “I got an interview for the externship after I reached out to someone I knew who had worked for him, and they passed along my resume,” Eyman says. “I kept in touch with Justice Kistler throughout law school, and when he was looking for a new law clerk, he asked if I would be interested in applying.”
Eyman made good use of opportunities at BU Law to learn the fundamental lawyering skills that will serve him well as a clerk and as a practicing attorney. He participated in the annual Edward C. Stone Moot Court Competition, advancing to the Homer Albers Prize competition, where he argued before current sitting judges. He also interned with the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, where he wrote legal memos on issues such as scope of employment, premises liability, and federal jurisdiction. He spent his second summer with the commercial litigation firm Cohn and Dussi LLC, where he drafted complaints, motions, and discovery requests.
In addition to his studies, Eyman edited articles for the Journal of Science & Technology Law, which helped prepare him for the writing and research required of a clerk. “While it felt like a lot of extra effort, editing articles for the journal developed important skills for my work today,” Eyman says. “It made me nimble with the Blue Book and gave me an eye for detail—both of which help me tremendously when editing opinions for the court.”
Eyman completed his law school career with work experience on both coasts and friends from everywhere in between. “I wanted to study with students from around the country,” he says. “Coming from the west coast, I liked that BU Law has alumni throughout the country as well as in Boston.”
Looking back on his time at BU Law, he most enjoyed the learning environment. “It’s such a unique opportunity to be around so many driven, smart, and friendly people,” he says. “It inspires you to push yourself and set high goals.”