By ALI WAYNER | Special to the Independent
EUGENE, Ore. — Port Orchard native Brittany Mahugh distinguished herself while studying at Oregon Law through her academics, extracurricular activities and externships.
She was one of many exemplary graduates honored during a May 18 commencement.
Mahugh, a graduate of South Kitsap High School, plans to pursue a career in health law and policy. Prior to attending Oregon Law, she was a nurse and enjoyed being able to help people on a daily basis within that profession, but worried she may lose that upon becoming a lawyer.
“Through my experiences here at Oregon Law, and the experience that going to Oregon Law has led me to, I’ve seen that you don’t lose that. I still feel like I’m making a difference to people and doing meaningful work,” Mahugh said.
During her time at Oregon Law, Mahugh received an Oregon Law Students Public Interest Fund (OLSPIF) stipend for her public service work with the Corrections Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s office, in Olympia. OLSPIF was formed in the 1990s to provide financial aid to Oregon Law students doing public service work while in school.
By working closely with attorneys during her summer with the Corrections Division, Mahugh learned how government agencies serve the public by creating and maintaining safe communities.
Beyond her work at the Washington State Attorney General’s office, Mahugh served as a managing editor of the Oregon Law Review editorial board. The Oregon Law Review is student-run and is the oldest continuously published law journal in the Pacific Northwest.
Early this year, Mahugh took first-place in the American Bar Association’s Health Law Student Writing Competition for her paper, “Lost in the Gray: Navigating the Problems of Pharmaceuticals in the Gray Market.”
Mahugh will use her Oregon Law degree to complete a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Joel Penoyer at the Washington State Court of Appeals — after which she plans to pursue her passion in health law and policy.
Mahugh also graduated Oregon Law alongside another Port Orchard native — her husband Travis Mahugh.
