Oregon

As new licensure pathways crop up, how are they doing?

New pathways to licensure are having a moment. In the past two years, several jurisdictions have approved methods of licensure that put less emphasis on tests or memorization and more weight on practical skills learned on the job while earning a paycheck. A few others are formally considering similar moves. But for those up and running, how’s it going?

Mar 12, 2026 12:08 PM CDT

New Mexico, Connecticut consider new pathways to licensure

New Mexico and Connecticut are the latest states to consider alternative pathways to bar licensure, a move that would potentially expand access to legal services statewide.

Mar 3, 2026 12:39 PM CST

Criminal defendants in Oregon will have charges dismissed if they can’t get timely legal representation

Criminal defendants in Oregon who cannot get timely legal representation from the state must have their charges dismissed, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Feb 6, 2026 9:20 AM CST

$800K awarded by jury to 2 public defenders who sued for discrimination

A sheriff’s deputy in Washington County, Oregon, discriminated against two lawyers who are women of color, a jury found Wednesday, according to the Oregonian.

Jan 22, 2026 9:44 AM CST

Buchalter escapes sanctions after associate who used AI for ‘wordsmithing’ takes blame for hallucinations

Buchalter has escaped sanctions for a case filing with “hallucinated" cases after one of its attorneys took responsibility for the errors and the law firm pledged to educate its attorneys on the misuse of generative artificial intelligence.

Nov 20, 2025 9:34 AM CST

How to define ‘rebellion’? ‘Black’s Law Dictionary’ enters fray in challenges to federal National Guard deployments

The definition of “rebellion” crafted by Black’s Law Dictionary editor Bryan A. Garner could play a role in challenges to the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops in several U.S. cities.

Nov 19, 2025 9:07 AM CST

Apparent AI errors snag BigLaw firm; 1 case ‘is totally fake,’ another ‘is almost real,’ federal judge says

A federal judge in Oregon is threatening sanctions against a corporate litigant and its BigLaw attorneys for “fake citations” that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence.

Oct 29, 2025 3:06 PM CDT

Trump can send troops to Portland, appeals court says

A federal appeals court Monday said President Donald Trump could deploy the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, blocking a judge’s ruling that prohibited his administration from sending troops into the city.

Oct 20, 2025 3:54 PM CDT

Contractual caseload quotas force Oregon public defenders ‘to operate beyond their ethical capacity,’ suit says

A new state contract for organizations providing public defender services in Oregon has an unenforceable quota provision for caseloads that would often make it impossible for defense lawyers to do their jobs, according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 30.

Oct 9, 2025 9:31 AM CDT

Judge deals Trump new setback in plans to deploy troops to Portland

A federal judge late Sunday dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s plans to send troops to Portland after a weekend of heated confrontations between protesters and federal agents there, temporarily blocking hundreds of California National Guard members as they were deploying to Oregon’s biggest city over objections from Democratic governors in both states.

Oct 6, 2025 10:03 AM CDT

Delcianna Winders has woven a web of animal law clinics and programs

“Becoming a lawyer was a good pathway to channel my animal advocacy, and the law plays a really important role in the status of animals,” says ABA member Delcianna Winders. “It’s an important lever that I could have an impact on.”

Sep 2, 2025 11:55 AM CDT

Secondary trauma hits attorneys hard; here’s how to navigate it

There’s a lesser-known but profound challenge within the legal profession: secondary trauma. For many attorneys and judges, the emotional toll of handling distressing cases can accumulate, creating lasting psychological impacts.

Aug 12, 2025 9:23 AM CDT

9th Circuit upholds nationwide injunction in challenge to Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco has upheld a nationwide preliminary injunction that blocks President Donald Trump’s curtailment of birthright citizenship, finding that a U.S. Supreme Court decision restricting such injunctions does not foreclose universal relief in a lawsuit by four states.

Jul 24, 2025 12:03 PM CDT

Meet the lawyer who leaves her Prius for an 1800s time machine

During business hours, Adelaide Beeman-White, 27, dons what she describes as her “costume”: a dark suit, collared shirt, pearls and Mary Jane shoes, which she wears to work as a criminal defense lawyer. But as soon as she steps out of her Prius and into the Oregon home she shares with her mother, Beeman-White transforms into what she feels is her true identity: A woman living between 1893 and 1898.

Jul 9, 2025 11:58 AM CDT

No Horsing Around: What’s considered a ‘vehicle’ when it comes to drunk driving laws?

A horse is a horse, of course. But can a horse be considered a “vehicle” if you’re charged with riding it while drunk? Well, it depends. Police can charge a person with impaired driving while operating just about anything—from horse drawn carriages to riding lawn mowers.

Apr 21, 2025 8:55 AM CDT