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Jennifer Woodhouse鈥檚 career map didn鈥檛 come with a predetermined set of directions. Even so, she says she鈥檚 happy with the result so far.

Woodhouse was in undergraduate school when she first flirted with the idea of becoming a lawyer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檝e always been interested in 鈥� but it wasn鈥檛 something I was ready to jump into,鈥� Woodhouse said.

Instead, she moved into administrative positions, including coordinating a core program at Lewis & Clark, before finally taking the leap into night classes at the university鈥檚 law school.

Even before she finished her law degree, she鈥檇 settled on becoming a criminal prosecutor. During her last year of school, she clerked in the Clackamas County District Attorney鈥檚 office.

The job market was less accommodating to her plans after she graduated with her law degree, however. Hungry to begin her law career, she applied for a job opening at Legal Aid Services of Oregon. Although it wasn鈥檛 criminal prosecution, the position drew her interest.

鈥淚 saw the job at Legal Aid, and it was tax, which I loved at law school,鈥� Woodhouse said, 鈥渁nd it was an organization that was wonderful.鈥�

After four years with LASO, she found her career taking a new direction. This month she joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt鈥檚 tax and estate planning group.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about the opportunity to do some estate planning and also some controversy work; it鈥檚 a different set of issues,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good move for me, and I鈥檓 excited about it.鈥�

While a new private practice might be enough for the average lawyer, Woodhouse likes to keep busy in her spare time. A self-professed 鈥渏oiner,鈥� she works with the executive committee of the Oregon State Bar Tax Section, participating in a pro bono task force for low-income taxpayers and mentoring new tax lawyers and law students.

She even manages to squeeze in a little field time with Midnight Thunder, the adult kickball team that she captains.

鈥淲e lose frequently,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we have a lot of fun.鈥�

What can you spend hours doing that鈥檚 not law related?

Reading.

How would your mother (or father/sibling/spouse/partner) describe you in one word?

Social.

Oregon Coast or Mount Hood?

Definitely the coast!

If you hadn鈥檛 become an attorney, what career would you have pursued?

Teaching.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise most people.

I鈥檓 afraid of pigeons.