Ten years ago I was a lawyer in New York City. Seven years ago I left the practice of law and became a university instructor and tutor. We moved around the country, which prevented me from returning to the practice of law. One year after settling in Oregon, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I spent almost two years battling brain cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, and constant MRIs. When I finally had many months of consistently clear MRIs, I decided it was time to return to the practice of law. The plan was to take the Oregon Bar Exam in February 2021. But with Governor Kate Brown's effective ban on in-person elementary education (see the standards here) on July 28, 2020, it became clear to me that reentering the legal workforce would need to be on hold for at least another year. I have worked so hard to get to a point where I would be able to use my legal training again and build a career, but Governor Brown's decree has made it impossible for me to study the hundreds of hours required to pass the bar exam again. I recognize that I am privileged to be able to educate my son while he is not allowed to go to school, but I simultaneously acknowledge the distinct disadvantage I suffer as a woman when there is no community support from schools and other government-run institutions and no opportunity to obtain an education outside the home in any setting.
Megan N., Beaverton, OR
#rememberwomen
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