EUGENE, Ore. — Amid a growing legal crisis, the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) has unveiled a 12-month strategic plan aimed at addressing the critical shortage of public defenders across the state. As of May 2025, more than 4,400 individuals in Oregon remain unrepresented by court-appointed attorneys, a situation officials say undermines the state’s justice system.
The commission reports the most acute shortages are concentrated in six counties: Coos, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah, and Washington. These areas have seen a surge in both in-custody and out-of-custody individuals awaiting legal representation, with some counties witnessing dramatic spikes.
In Coos County, for example, 134 out-of-custody individuals were left without legal representation in October 2024 — a peak in a trend years in the making. Since then, the OPDC assigned a Salem-based attorney to the county in a yearlong deployment, resulting in a nearly 25% reduction in unrepresented individuals.
As part of the broader response, the OPDC is developing a mobile “strike team” of attorneys that can be dispatched to counties experiencing the most severe shortages. According to a recent press release, the commission has also been prioritizing cases involving in-custody defendants, which has led to a 30% reduction in unrepresented incarcerated individuals since January.
The trial division of the OPDC has taken on more than 2,200 cases across its three offices since 2023, reflecting the commission’s growing involvement in direct legal services. Interim Executive Director Ken Sanchiagrin, appointed earlier this year, has pledged to address the crisis in a letter to Governor Tina Kotek, stating that restoring access to legal representation is a top priority.
Despite gains in some regions, the crisis has worsened elsewhere. In Multnomah and Washington counties — home to Oregon’s largest urban centers — the number of unrepresented individuals has surged by over 185%, according to the commission’s data.
To combat the broader shortage, OPDC is revising its contracts with nonprofit public defense providers, giving them more flexibility to hire additional attorneys, including newly graduated law students. The plan also calls for expanded legal clinic programs, where law students gain real-world experience by working on actual cases under supervision.
Caitlin Plummer, Executive Director of Public Defender Services of Lane County, voiced support for the plan, particularly its emphasis on long-term attorney recruitment and training.
“I think it places a really important emphasis on recruitment and retention of attorneys,” Plummer said. “Changing hiring practices and growing legal clinics will help new attorneys hit the ground running. These are critical components of any sustainable solution.”
While the OPDC’s plan marks one of the most comprehensive state responses to the public defender shortage in recent years, officials acknowledge that significant work lies ahead to ensure every Oregonian receives their constitutional right to legal representation.
