Cristela’s practice includes working with public, private, and nonprofit clients in employment advice and litigation matters, with a focus on the intersection of employment and education law. She joins Bullard following her clerkship with the Oregon Court of Appeals where she clerked for the Honorable​​ Steven R. Powers. Cristela assisted in drafting judicial opinions that resolved legal questions spanning both state and federal law. 

Before clerking for the Court of Appeals, Cristela served as a law clerk for the Oregon Department of Justice General Counsel Division in the labor and employment section. She also worked as a law clerk for the University of Oregon Office of General Counsel and a judicial extern to Judge John Acosta of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. 

Cristela has experience drafting Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) responses, assisting with investigations under Title IX, and working on cases involving NCAA compliance. Additionally, her time working for the judiciary gives her a valuable perspective on advising clients.

Outside of work, Cristela is actively involved in the community, serving as a mentor to law students, a Task Force member of the Multnomah Bar Association Bar Fellows Program, a board member of the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, and a coach of the Jefferson Mock Trial Team.