Stewart Martin J.D. ’77 and Karen Martin

Oregon’s North Coast, an ever-changing environment, rewards those who yearn to explore. For Stewart and Karen Martin, who thrive on testing new waters together, it’s the natural place to call home.

Stewart knows firsthand the challenges and appeal of change. Entering Lewis & Clark Law School after a career in industrial engineering, he contrasted law’s guidelines and variability with engineering’s rules and predictability. Mentored by faculty such as Ed Belsheim, Jim Huffman, and Ed Brunet, he found law enthralling and intellectually stimulating.

Stewart earned his J.D. in 1977, built his own successful practice, managed a small law firm, and engaged in pro bono and community service.  And every day he ventured beyond the familiar as new clients and their circumstances revealed the law’s untapped meanings and interpretations.

Stewart and Karen appreciate how far their lifelong learning has brought them. As longtime donors who want to provide others with an equally enriching education, they’ve included the law school in their estate plan. For them, always viewing the future on the horizon, it’s a natural partnership.