Carl Neil's professional life of almost 50 years at the bar includes practice in business, commercial, admiralty and transportation litigation, over 35 years of service as an arbitrator, and taking on pro bono matters and community service. He received, in September 2007, the Professionalism Award of the Multnomah Bar Association. Carl graduated from Yale and received his LL.B. from Columbia University. He has taught the course on admiralty law at Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College, since 1969. He has also taught arbitration law and practice at the law school.