Kali Samaya Tara Yost, MA, JD

Along with nearly 20 years working as an attorney in Oregon and beyond, Kali Yost also has personal experience navigating legal challenges – from blending families and fostering children to helping individuals with mental and physical disabilities to planning for the future with her own aging relatives. She knows firsthand how confusing and overwhelming the law can be, and that's why she approaches her work and her clients with empathy and understanding. 

Combining her considerable legal expertise with her extensive training in psychology, Kali aims to build trust with her clients by listening closely to what they want. Then, she determines the best of course of action to achieve those goals and explains the legal options in simple and straightforward terms – empowering others to make informed decisions about their families and their futures. 

As a small business owner herself, Kali Yost also assists individuals and small business owners in navigating the complex waters of running a business from executive coaching and career development, to streamlining processes and procedures, to managing people with more mindfulness and empathy all while increasing the bottom line. 

Professional Experience

• Founder & Managing Attorney, Kali Yost Law, 2013 - Present
• Staff Attorney, Disability Rights Oregon, 2010 - 2013; Contractor, 2013 - 2014
• Contract Attorney & Consultant, 2008 - 2010
• Staff Attorney (and Acting Executive Director), Guam Legal Services Corporation, 2007 - 2008
• Assistant Attorney General, Guam Office of the Attorney General, 2006 - 2007
• Sole Practitioner & Contract Attorney, 2003 - 2006
• Law Clerk, Mary Ebel Johnson, 2002 - 2003
• Law Clerk, TOC Management Services, 2000 - 2002
• Legal Intern, Lewis and Clark Law School Legal Clinic, Fall 2000 and Spring 2002
• Employee Relations Specialist/Manager, United Grocers, 1998 - 1999
• HR Analyst II, Radiant Hospitality Solutions, 1997 - 1998

Community Involvement

• Lawyers of Distinction, Distinguished Member for Excellence in Estate Planning and Disability Rights, 2023
• OSB Solo and Small Firm Section, Member, Present
• OSB Estate Planning Section, Member, Present
• OSB Administrative Law Section, Member, Present
• Oregon State Hospital Rules Advisory Committee, Member 2010 - Present
• Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division, Foster Parent, 2015 - 2018
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member, 2013 - 2016
• OSB New Lawyer Mentoring Program, Mentor, 2011 – 2016
• OSB Quality of Life Committee, Member, 2011 - 2012
• OSB Leadership College, Fellow, 2009
• OSB Public Service Advisory Committee, 2004 - 2006; Chair, 2006; Secretary, 2005
• Legal Aid Services of Oregon Senior Law Project, Pro Bono Attorney, 2003 - 2006

Education

• M.A. Psychology, University of the Rockies, 2012
• 40-Hour Training on Family Violence, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Stalking & Human Trafficking, Victim Advocates Reaching Out (VARO), 2008
• Qi Dao Coach Certification, Academy of Qi Dao, 2008
• Certified Professional Mediator, Lakewood College, 2007
• J.D. Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, 2002
• B.A. Psychology, Portland State University, 1996

Publications & Presentations

• Presenter, Oregon State Hospital Administrative Law Judge Annual Training, 2010 - 2023
• Co-Author, Disability Rights Oregon Involuntary Medication Handbook, 2012
• Presenter, Transitions: Challenge or Opportunity, Professional Liability Fund, 2012
• Author, Mindfulness as a Path to Taking Charge of Your Life, OAAP: In Sight, 2009
• Author, The Secret of Self Care for Lawyers. Cutting Edge Law, 2009