Kirsten Blume

Attorney Counselor Associate

JD, MA candidate

I attended Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts to engage in public interest legal efforts. I have been grateful for various opportunities to serve people in need of legal services. My background includes a fellowship in women’s health human rights in Delhi, India; advocating to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on the issue of homelessness in the U.S.; working for a firm in Hawaii; clerking in Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon; engaging in Title IX and nondiscrimination investigations in higher education, and directing a housing advocacy program for a nonprofit.

In these legal roles, I experienced firsthand the immense pressures, responsibilities, and challenges we can all face in this profession. Retrospectively, I also see a common thread in my work history: a natural inclination toward listening and a profound desire to help others find understanding, growth, and meaning in their lived experiences. My alignment with social justice and a consistent desire to support people in their healing is what led me to seek an MA in mental health counseling from Oregon State University.

I was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, and it is a privilege to serve the legal community in this state that I love. While not working, I am a certified yoga instructor, passionate about mindfulness and a somatic approach. I believe that collective growth for us all entails both internal and systemic change. Additionally, I love running, hiking, practicing yoga, and spending time with my husband and daughter, two goats, five chickens, and our dog named Kipper.