Law Practice
Julie Smith is an appellate lawyer who also specializes in advising trial attorneys on litigation strategy and in drafting and arguing complex motions.
Before joining Cosgrave, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Trial and Appellate Divisions of the Oregon Department of Justice, where she twice received the department’s Outstanding Achievement Award. Prior to that, she clerked for the Honorable Virginia Linder of the Oregon Court of Appeals.
Appellate services include:
- Reviewing the trial court record
- Identifying appeal-worthy issues
- Evaluating the merits of a potential appeal
- Participating in appellate mediation
- Developing a strategy for an appeal
- Writing appellate briefs, including amicus briefs
- Presenting oral argument
Litigation support services include:
- Identifying and analyzing complex legal issues
- Consulting on litigation strategy
- Drafting and arguing dispositive motions
- Drafting and arguing trial submissions, including trial memoranda, jury instructions, motions in limine, verdict forms, and directed-verdict motions
- Drafting and arguing post-trial motions, including motions for new trial
- Attending trial to ensure that a proper trial court record is made and
that specific issues are properly preserved for appeal
Education & Bar Admissions
Julie earned her bachelor’s degree in political, legal, and economic analysis from Mills College and a law degree from the University of Oregon, where she graduated Order of the Coif. While attending law school, she was an Executive Editor of the Oregon Law Review.
Julie became a member of the Oregon State Bar in 1998. She is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Oregon, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Professional
Julie’s professional memberships include the Multnomah Bar Association, the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC), and Oregon Women Lawyers. She also serves on the Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee and is a regular contributor to OADC’s quarterly publication – The Verdict. She was previously a member of the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar Appellate Practice Section and a member of the Uniform Civil Jury Instructions Committee.
Publications
Oregon Civil Pleading and Litigation (2020 ed.)
Chapter 41 – Appealability of Judgments and Orders, Oregon State Bar Publications, December 2020
Damages (2016 ed.)
Chapter 2 – Nominal Damages, Oregon State Bar Publications, November, 2016
Presentations
“Post-Trial Motions and Appellate Practice”
Speaker – 2024 OADC Annual Convention, Defense Practice Academy, 2024
Appeals – What New Practitioners Should Know
Speaker – Oregon State Bar Fundamentals of Oregon Civil Trial Procedure Seminar, 2023
The Remedy Clause post-Busch – where do we go from here?
Speaker – Oregon Association of Defense Counsel Webinar, 2020
Awards
The Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice (2021-2025); Railroad Law (2025)
“Oregon Rising Star,” Super Lawyers magazine, Civil Litigation (2008-2012)
Client Comments
“I just read the brief, and I must say, it’s extraordinarily compelling. You nailed it!”
“Amazing job with this brief. I’m blown away. * * * Incredibly thorough, readability is next level.”
“I cannot thank you enough for the amazing work you did on my case. Your pretrial arguments and work on the directed verdict were integral to [trial counsel’s] success.”
“I know that you have received this great news already from Julie Smith. Congratulations on the terrific result! Julie did a superb job on the briefing and it is reflected clearly in the exemplary, thoughtful opinion that [the judge] wrote.”
“My feedback echos [the trial attorney’s], and the word that came to my mind after reading [your briefing] was ‘brilliant’!”
“Julie, thank you very much. I think [the motion] is extremely well done.”