About Katherine
Katherine Goodman took an unconventional route into law. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Bethel University & Seminary, both conferred in 2007. She earned her J.D. from Valparaiso University in 2013 and later returned to study an LL.M. in Animal Law at Lewis & Clark Law School, finishing in 2018. The sequence of degrees reflects an early interest in science and the environment that carried through to specialized legal study.
Goodman began her legal work in the public sector and in court. She served as a judicial clerk at the Marshall County Courthouse in 2014. In 2016 she spent time as a governmental relations extern for the ASPCA, an experience that dovetailed with her LL.M. studies. She worked as a paralegal at Epiq in 2017 before moving into associate roles at several firms. She spent 2018 as a senior associate at Senft Legal and joined Stevens & Legal as an associate in 2019. In 2022 she was an associate at McEwen Gisvold LLP and in 2023 she accepted an associate position at Merkel & Conner.
Her career shows a steady movement from support roles to positions of greater responsibility. The LL.M. in Animal Law and the ASPCA externship figure prominently in the work she has taken on. Those experiences placed her at the intersection of policy, enforcement, and case work involving animals. Her time in a courthouse and in several small and mid-size firms provided regular exposure to motion practice, client counseling, and dispute resolution.
Goodman is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association and the Multnomah Bar Association, both listings beginning in 2018 and continuing to the present. She participates in bar activities and local legal networks, and she draws on that community when researching regulatory questions or preparing for hearings. Colleagues describe her as thorough in legal research and effective at preparing written submissions.
She practices in Oregon and most recently joined Merkel & Conner as an associate. Her work centers on animal law matters, regulatory compliance, and related disputes in state and local venues. She maintains an active bar membership while practicing in these areas.
