Lorena graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in Philosophy. She obtained her law degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1997. During law school, she interned at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office in the Hard Core Gang Unit and worked at Protection and Advocacy, Inc. as a law clerk representing children and young adults with disabilities in administrative hearings, as well as providing litigation support on individual and class action law suits. After graduation she worked at Legal Aid Services of Oregon, where she specialized in representing survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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Lorena has been in private practice in Corvallis since 2004 and she is the managing partner of The Reynolds Law Firm, PC. She specializes in family law, victims’ rights, and social justice issues. In addition to being a mediator and arbitrator, she has litigated hundreds of cases, handled many appeals, and worked on policy and legislation at the state and local levels.  She is a frequent speaker on a variety of legal topics and is an adjunct professor at Oregon State University. Lorena has served on many boards, commissions, and committees in many capacities. She is an avid gardener, loves to travel, and is passionate about making her community a safer, more just place for everyone. 

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SAMPLE APPELLATE CASE WORK

• In Re: Hollister. 340 Or App 368 (2020). The Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed that all Oregonians have the right to a legally recognized non-binary gender marker. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/sexchagepetition.pdf

• Justice and Crum.  265 Or App 635 (2014). In this review of a case handled at trial by another attorney, the Court of Appeals ruled that language should have been included in the judgment prohibiting the husband who had been convicted of a felony against the wife from possessing the firearms awarded to him and remanding the case to address transitional spousal support.

• Foster v. Miramontes. 236 Or App 381, 236 P3d 782 (2010).  Successfully defended the Circuit Court’s decision that the respondent was not entitled to a jury trial in a stalking case.  The Court of Appeals also upheld the award of damages in excess of $40,000 and the award of attorney fees in excess of $30,000.   The case was ultimately overturned at the Oregon Supreme Court and remanded for a new trial.

• Clapp and Clapp.  238 Or App 529, 244 P3d 377 (2010).  Successfully overturned trial court’s decision to not require the husband to contribute to the joint debts paid by the wife during separation and awarding the husband more than half of the marital assets. The husband, who had been the major household earner, had abandoned the wife and children, did not contribute to their support after separation, and did not make payments on the joint debts during the separation.  The Court of Appeals found that wife was entitled to half of the assets and to reimbursement for payments she had made on joint debts.

• Hanson-Parmer and Parmer.  233 Ore. App. 187 (2010).  Successfully overturned trial court’s decision to award visits under ORS 109.119 (psychological parent statute) in a domestic violence case where the trial court award visits to a step-father with a founded history of child endangerment and neglect.

• Baker v. Baker, 216 Or App 205 (2007).  Successfully represented victim of domestic violence whose abuser sought to get a restraining order against her.  The trial court ordered mutual restraining orders.  The Court of Appeals overturned the restraining order against the victim. 

• McKinney and McKinney,  201 Or App 721 (2006).  Unsuccessfully attempted to repair a jurisdictional flaw caused when the Appellant, who was indigent and pro se at the time, made a typographical error on the envelope sent to the Respondent that contained the Notice of Appeal. Court of Appeals dismissed her appeal because of her mistake.

• Jones v. Lindsey,  192 Or App 362 (2004).  Successfully represented victim of domestic violence whose former husband obtained a Stalking Protective Order against her after she obtained a restraining order against him.  Court of Appeals overturned the trial court’s issuance of the order.

• Newton v. Thomas, 177 Or App 670 (2001).  Successfully represented a young mother who sought to regain custody of her child after the trial court awarded custody to her former mother-in-law.  Court of Appeals overturned the trial court awarding the mother-in-law custody.

• Gatliff and Sission, 170 Or App 480 (2000).  Successfully represented victim of domestic violence who was in hiding following a serious assault by her husband.  Court of Appeals overruled the trial court’s decision to require that she provide visitation for her child with her in-laws even though such visitation would compromise her new identity and her safety.