OTLA Trial Lawyer Fall 2021

3 Trial Lawyer • Fall 2021 I travelled across Canada and to different countries to compete. By the end of col- lege, I knew I wanted to do something to help people. My friends were applying to law school but I was not sure certain that was what I wanted to do. My first post-college job was as a paralegal for a high-volume landlord practice in Washington, D.C. I was un- happy with the work I was asked to do and was reminded law can sometimes be a tool used against ordinary people. The tenants who appeared at the courthouse had the “choice” of being evicted or ne- gotiating an accelerated repayment schedule to catch up on back rent. It was absurd to me that tenant after tenant, each one African-American, had to ex- plain to a 22-year-old from Oregon why they missed a rent payment or two. Of- ten, the reason was their need to take a few unpaid days off to care for a sick child. This all occurred in a courthouse in our nation’s capital. I knew I could not do that type of work and decided instead to become an attorney who would help people. I went on to attend law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. There, I became involved in the Students for Public Interest Fellowships. We began a loan forgiveness program for people who went into public interest work. In the summers in between law school years, I worked at the U.S. at- torney’s office in Portland and later at the defense firm Bullivant Houser. While I liked and admired many of the lawyers I met, I realized I wanted to be the kind of lawyer who represented people. Since 1994, I have been a personal injury attorney in Eugene. First, I was with Johnson Clifton Larson and Corson and, then later, in 2004 until today, with my law partner and husband Don Cor- son at the Corson and Johnson firm. I am thankful to my original mentors, Derek Johnson and Doug Schaller. I feel fortunate to have colleagues then and now to answer questions, provide guid- ance and think through legal issues. Now I have a general plaintiff’s prac- tice. Part of my work is for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. I sat on the Elder Abuse PreventionWork Group that Governor Kitzhaber put together. I am involved in legislative matters relating to the treatment and care of our older and disabled adults. I have represented individuals and families harmed by medical negligence, defective products, dangerous premises and unsafe driving. I have occasionally stepped outside of those areas, such as representing child sex abuse victims or suing health insurance companies. In doing so, I have come to greatly appreciate the expertise and work- ing knowledge of those of you who specialize in different areas of plaintiff’s practice. Active opportunities As attorneys, we have the education and training to be both effective advo- cates for our clients and effective community leaders. I have had the privilege of serving for years on the Board of Direction Services, a Eugene area non- profit that provides support and services to homeless youth and to young people with special needs. I have had the opportunity to be on the winning and losing side of trials. One of the proudest moments of my career involved the re-trial of a case that was lost in the first trial. We sued Deere & Company for a leg a m p u t a t i o n i n j u r y t o a 2-year-old, Isabelle or “Izzy.” Because of the delay between the injury and the first trial, and the delay in the appeals, Izzy was 14 years old during the second trial. She sat next to me during the trial, and testified to the jury. She was brave enough to show jurors her residual leg stump and was not intimidated by all the lawyers Deere brought to court. The jury saw a fuller picture than the jury in the first trial and they returned a substantial verdict. Deere has appealed the result. Appellate warrior Kathryn Clarke, with the assistance of Lisa Hunt, is defending the verdict. Through it all, Izzy has been by our side and we have been by hers. Izzy’s trial reminded me what a great honor it is to be a trial lawyer. As trial lawyers, we are dedicated to protecting people, holding wrongdoers accountable, and promoting a fair and equitable jus- tice system. Looking forward This past year and half, we have been challenged professionally and personally by the COVID epidemic and by court shutdowns and slowdowns. As OTLA president, I will be part of a team advo- cating for broader access to the courts for our clients. In the coming months, I hope we will be able to gather more often in person, to see each other face to face. I look forward to meeting those of you I haven’t met and catching up with those I have met. I invite you all in the coming year to introduce yourself to OTLA colleagues you have not met, to partici- pate in our varied CLEs, and, in August 2022, to attend the first in-person sum- mer convention OTLA has had in three years. Lara Johnson is a shareholder in the Corson & Johnson Law Firm. She specializes in mo t o r veh i c l e c o l l i s i on s , nur s ing home abuse and neglect, and medical neg- ligence. She contributes to the OTLA Guardians of Civil Justice at the Guardians Club Level. Her office is located at 940 Willamette St., Ste. 500, Eugene OR 97401. She can be reached at 541-484- 2525 or ljohnson@corsonjohnsonlaw.com.