About Costello Law Office

Karen L. Costello, Esq

Attorney at Law

Attorney Karen L. Costello is the founder of Costello Law Office, PC. She has been practicing law for twenty years and has extensive experience in Trusts & Estates, Wills, Probate, Protective Proceedings, and Family Law, as well as in Tribal and Federal Indian Law. She is the City Attorney for the City of Coquille and Associate Judge for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. Ms. Costello is admitted to practice law in Oregon and in several Tribal Courts in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Ms. Costello obtained her Juris Doctorate degree with distinction from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where she was a member of the North Dakota Law Review and Legal Aid Clinic. She obtained a B.A. and M.M. degrees in Music, also from the University of North Dakota. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Costello held management positions in non-profit arts organizations and was a lecturer in Music Theory and Composition at the University of North Dakota.

Ms. Costello started her legal career in North Dakota, her homes state, working with the Sprit Lake Lakota Tribe through the Tribal Law Project of the University of North Dakota’s Legal Aid Clinic. This led her to a position with Indian Legal Services in Wausau, Wisconsin, where she advised and represented tribes and tribal members nationally, but in individual cases and in matters of legal policy and justice systems development. 

In 2008, she joined the law firm of Corrigall, McClintock and Costello, LLP as a partner, engaging in a general civil practice which emphasized family law, trust, estate planning, and probate matters. She formed Costello Law Office, PC in 2014. She describes herself as a “coastal country lawyer” and loves her diverse practice and close connections to the communities she serves. 

In her spare time, Ms. Costello enjoys playing her Irish harp, hiking the fabulous local coastal trials, and spending time with her family.

Donald O. Costello, Esq

Attorney at Law

Don Costello’s law practice began in 1977. His primary focus is conflict resolution. He represents clients in business and real estate matters and acts as private mediator and arbitrator of a variety of disputes, and he served as a courtroom judge for 36 years. He also advises clients in their business- and real estate transactions. A rowing enthusiast, Don Costello volunteers as coach and advisor for University of Oregon intercollegiate crew program.

Drew Scott Betts, Esq

Attorney at Law

We are pleased to share with you Drew Scott Betts, Esq officially joined the Costello Law Office as of November 1, 2022. 

Drew has spent the last two years in Coos County at the Southwestern Oregon Public Defenders Office where she practiced adult criminal, civil commitment, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile dependency cases. 

Drew is a proud double Duck, having earned both her Juris Doctorate and Bachelors of Science Degree in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Oregon. She feels the most at home in the courtroom, advocating for her clients and pressing issues of fairness and accountability. She specializes in navigating trauma-informed care as it relates to interpersonal violence, mental health, substance use disorder, racial injustice, houselessness, and poverty. 

Drew has a strong commitment to expanding access to justice for the greater Coos County area. Because her cases at the public defenders office were limited in scope, Drew is eager to dive into civil practice to broaden the legal services she can offer in our community. She is a dedicated listener and fierce advocate. More importantly, she is driven to help her clients find just and equitable resolutions. 

She is currently accepting family law cases -- including child custody, divorce, and restraining orders -- estate planning, contract disputes, and, of course, criminal defense. 

In her free time, Drew enjoys cooking a homemade meal, spending quality time with her niece, coaching collegiate mock trial, and exploring the idiosyncrasies of beaches across Coos County with her Australian Shepherd, Bleu. 

Education
Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of Oregon (2017) Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, University of Oregon (2017) Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Oregon (2020)

Kim Abarca Pacheco

Paralegal

Karen Shutte

Legal Assistant