Introducing Alex Pletch

Posted on behalf of Rizk Law on Nov 30, 2016 in Firm News

RizkLaw isn’t Alex’s first experience working for a law firm. When he lived in the Seattle area during his undergrad years, Alex worked for Robert D. Butler where he assisted primarily in the firm’s employment, discrimination, and harassment cases.

Today, Alex is wrapping up his final year at Lewis & Clark. He found out about RizkLaw through a law school classmate who attended a legal networking event. Richard happened to be there, in need of an assistant.

Why RizkLaw?

After meeting with Richard, the pair got along swell. RizkLaw runs like a family business with five legal experts in charge of the whole operation and Richard at the helm. The staff is easy-going and everyone shares the same goals of lifting up those who fall down on hard times. At an established firm like RizkLaw, Alex has great potential to sharpen his skills and develop his experience. As a certified law student, Alex is allowed by the State of Oregon to argue motions and appeals under Richard’s supervision.

Favorite Part about RizkLaw

Like everybody at the firm, Alex is focused on making sure each client gets what they deserve for their personal injury claims. It is astounding to realize the way in which insurance companies do their best to hold out on money that insured parties desperately need when they have been injured and are out of work. Getting good resolutions for clients is an uphill struggle with a satisfying reward.

Scholarly Involvement

Alex looks forward to his upcoming moot court competition at Lewis & Clark Law School. His team is competing for the Pacific Northwest Regionals against other schools. This is a prime opportunity for law students to practice their oral and written arguments. Participation gives them a “leg up” upon graduation, as it shows potential employers that they have the capacity to construct proper legal arguments and argue them verbally in a coherent and assertive fashion.

The 100-year old competition is not a requirement for law students to graduate, but is a great extracurricular activity to network with other prospective lawyers and practice litigation in front of real appellate judges from all over the Washington court system.

What lies ahead?

Alex takes a strong interest in constitutional law, or the area of law that encompasses protecting the civil rights of citizens, as well as making sure that government authorities don’t overstep their boundaries. Particularly, he has his sights on the protection of 4th amendment rights, or the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Today, a person accused of criminal activity can file a motion to suppress evidence found in a manner that violated his or her civil rights. In addition, that person may also sue the city for violating those rights in the first place. Alex hopes to grow with RizkLaw so that he may lead the firm to one day defend such rights that are protected by the Constitution.

RizkLaw is well situated to dive into this realm in the future, as the interests at issue in personal injury and Constitutional law often blend. For instance, the Oregon Supreme Court’s recent decision in Horton v. OHSU implicates not only a plaintiff’s right to be fully compensated for her injuries, but likewise the Constitutional right to jury trial.

Thoughts on Horton

In Horton v. OHSUa child was severely damaged due to negligence by medical staff at Oregon Health and Science University. He will need treatment for a lifetime. Yet, the Oregon Supreme Court held that a cap of $3 million for that lifetime of treatment is sufficient when the defendant is a public entity.

In law school, Alex has extensively researched the history of common law. Per that common law that has shaped our civilization for centuries, you have the right to a jury of your peers to determine how much you have been damaged by another party. Up until Horton, that right was the law of Oregon. In imposing caps, the State takes away the power of the jury to decide how much a plaintiff deserves. RizkLaw, along with many Oregon plaintiff’s lawyers, hopes to reverse this ruling through cases and legislation, so that injured people can once again be fully compensated for their injuries.

RizkLaw takes a human approach to navigating the claims process. Attorney Richard Rizk has years of valuable experience working from the other side of the table, having been a defense attorney for insurance companies. He gets enormous satisfaction knowing that he can help clients get good resolutions they would not have otherwise. Call (503) 245-5677 for a free personal injury consultation in Portland.