Metropolitan Public Defender

What Metropolitan Public Defender does

Metropolitan Public Defender (MPD), formally Metropolitan Public Defender Services, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, established in 1970 by the Multnomah County Bar Association and operationally active since July 1, 1971. MPD is the first public defender organization under Oregon's state contract indigent defense system and is the largest single provider of trial-level public defense services in Oregon, with offices in Multnomah County (101 SW Main St, Suite 1100, Portland), Washington County (400 E. Main, Suite 210, Hillsboro), and a Parent|Child Advocacy Division (7931 NE Halsey, Suite 101, Portland). It contracts with the State of Oregon through Oregon Public Defense Services to deliver constitutionally mandated indigent defense representation.

The firm's core portfolio spans criminal defense representation (misdemeanors through capital murder), juvenile delinquency and dependency representation, and mental health and treatment specialty court advocacy. Beyond state-funded criminal defense, MPD launched a Community Law Division in 2016 that extends the practice into holistic civil legal services, including expungement and felony reduction, driver's license restoration, eviction defense, immigration removal defense (Immigrant Defense Oregon), veterans' legal services (Veteran's Project), and the Multnomah Project Reset fines-and-fees waiver program. Supporting sub-brands include Pro Se self-help guides and Free Legal Clinics, plus fellowship and internship pipelines for legal professionals. The firm runs a 'holistic defense' operating model that pairs attorneys with investigators, mitigation specialists, social workers, case managers, and data integrity specialists rather than relying on traditional siloed legal practice.

MPD employs over 100 attorneys and more than 120 support staff for a total of 220+ employees. Revenue is principally recurring state appropriations through Oregon Public Defense Services for criminal and juvenile defense work, with supplementary philanthropic donations directed exclusively to community programs through a Development office ([email protected]); the organization explicitly keeps donations separate from state-funded criminal defense work. Governance rests with a six-member citizen Board of Trustees with seats allocated to the Multnomah County Commissioner, the Washington County Commissioner, the Oregon Bar President, the Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice, and the Board itself. The organization is led by Executive Director Carl Macpherson, appointed August 2018, and there are no disclosed subsidiaries, acquisitions, or external funding rounds.

Name

Metropolitan Public Defender

Legal name

Metropolitan Public Defender Services, Inc.

Website

https://mpdlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Metropolitan Public Defender is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm contracting with the State of Oregon to provide constitutionally mandated indigent criminal defense in Multnomah and Washington counties, employing 220+ staff and operating additional holistic civil legal services through its Community Law Division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Defense Legal Services

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Defense (BPAHAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Public defense services
• Indigent criminal defense
• Holistic legal representation
• Civil legal services
• Juvenile delinquency advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Contracts for Indigent Defense: MPD contracts with the State of Oregon for indigent defense services. Criminal and juvenile defense work is constitutionally mandated and fully funded by the state of Oregon.
2. Private Donations for Community Programs: 100% of donated funds support community services programs — holistic defense, civil legal services, case management, and client support. Donations do not fund criminal or juvenile defense work, which is separately state-funded.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Metropolitan Public Defender is a nonprofit law firm that contracts with the State of Oregon to provide constitutionally mandated indigent criminal defense services, ranging from misdemeanors to capital murder, as well as juvenile delinquency and dependency representation. It supplements this core mandate with a Community Law Division offering holistic civil legal services, barrier reduction assistance, immigrant defense, veteran legal services, and parent-child advocacy. Services are provided at no cost to qualifying clients, funded primarily by state contracts and supplemented by private donations for community programs.

Product overview

Metropolitan Public Defender is a nonprofit law firm that contracts with the State of Oregon to provide public defense services. It is the largest single provider of trial-level public defense services in Oregon. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio centered on core criminal defense representation (misdemeanors to capital murder, juvenile proceedings, and mental health courts) supplemented by the Community Law Division, which launched in 2016 as a holistic defense model providing civil legal services. Supporting sub-brands include Parent | Child Advocacy Division, Immigrant Defense Oregon, Veteran's Project, Multnomah Project Reset, Pro Se Guides, and Free Legal Clinic. The organization also offers fellowship and internship programs for legal professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Criminal Defense Services Core public defense representation for clients charged with crimes ranging from misdemeanors to capital murder cases, provided to indigent defendants in Oregon.
• Juvenile Delinquency and Dependency Representation Legal representation for juveniles in delinquency and dependency proceedings throughout Oregon.
• Mental Health and Treatment Specialty Courts Specialized representation in mental health courts and treatment specialty courts for clients with mental health and substance use needs.
• Community Law Division Civil legal services division providing holistic defense, barrier reduction, eviction defense, immigration legal services, and veteran support for individuals involved with the criminal justice system.
• Parent | Child Advocacy Division Advocacy services for parents and children in Multnomah County, providing civil legal representation to support family stability.
• Immigrant Defense Oregon Free removal defense and immigration legal services for non-citizen community members in Oregon, addressing immigration consequences of criminal charges and removal proceedings.
• Veteran's Project Legal services for veterans including criminal record expungement, housing advocacy, driver's license restoration, military discharge upgrades, and barrier reduction services through partnerships with SSVF, Easterseals of Oregon, and VA.
• Multnomah Project Reset Program waiving Multnomah County fines and fees for qualifying individuals at or below 80% Area Median Income, selecting 60 participants monthly.
• Pro Se Guides Self-help legal guides covering Felony Reduction, Driver's License Reinstatement, SB 819, and Sex Offender Registration Pro Se matters.
• Free Legal Clinic Free expungement and barrier reduction legal clinics held periodically for community members seeking to clear criminal records or address related legal issues.
• Fellowship Program Externally-funded post-graduate legal fellowships in public defense specialty areas including special education advocacy, know your rights education, conditions of confinement, civil advocacy for parents and children, reentry services, and immigrant advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• A 10-year study on holistic defense found 1.1 million less days in custody, 16% reduction in incarceration rates, and $165 million in housing cost savings

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Transition Projects Inc. (TProjects) - Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with TProjects' SSVF program to provide comprehensive legal services and case management support to eligible veterans, including housing search assistance, employment support, transportation coordination, and connection to local support services
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal Services for Veterans (LSV) grant partnership providing holistic legal services tailored to the unique needs of veterans through the Veterans' Project
• Easterseals of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support veterans through the Veterans' Project initiative dedicated to helping eligible veterans overcome legal barriers
• Multnomah County's Anti-poverty ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership addressing poverty-related legal issues and providing holistic services to reduce involvement in the criminal justice system
• Multnomah County Project ResetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between MPD's Community Law Division, the DA's office, the Circuit Court, and Multnomah County to waive fines and fees for qualifying individuals below 80% Area Median Income
• Multnomah County Homeless Services DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address housing instability and provide legal advocacy for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness
• City of Portland's Portland Housing BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide housing advocacy and eviction prevention services through collaborative person-centered approach
• Department of Community JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to coordinate services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system and support successful reentry
• Pathway Home - Mental Health and Addiction Association of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing mental health and addiction-related services in coordination with legal advocacy
• New Avenues For YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership serving youth involved in or at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system
• Clean Slate InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on record expungement and barrier reduction for criminal justice involved individuals
• Sex Trafficking NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network addressing legal needs of sex trafficking survivors including vacating prostitution convictions
• Healthy Birth InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting families through civil legal advocacy related to family stability and birth outcomes
• Home ForwardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing authority partnership providing housing advocacy and tenant representation for public housing residents
• Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyer Association (OCDLA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association partnership providing training opportunities and continuing education for public defenders

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Bronx Defenders: Nonprofit holistic defense organization in New York that pioneered the integrated civil-criminal-immigration defense model explicitly referenced in MPD's approach. Highly comparable in mission, service mix, and operating philosophy.
• Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem: Community-based holistic public defense nonprofit serving a defined geographic area with integrated civil and criminal representation. Directly comparable operating model and client-centered mission to MPD.
• The Defender Association: Nonprofit public defense firm in Seattle providing trial-level indigent defense with extensive social-work integration. Closest West Coast geographic and structural analog to MPD.
• Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia: Federal public defender organization delivering holistic trial-level representation with social workers and investigators integrated into defense teams. Specifically referenced as the career origin of MPD's current Executive Director; highly comparable in practice model.

Others

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association: National membership and advocacy association for civil legal aid, public defense, and client-based organizations. MPD engages as a peer member within the broader public-defense ecosystem for training, policy advocacy, and standards.

Broad incumbents

• The Legal Aid Society: Large, multi-practice legal services nonprofit in New York City with criminal defense, civil, and juvenile rights practices. Overlaps with MPD on criminal defense but is far broader in scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Committee for Public Counsel Services: Massachusetts state public defender agency administering indigent defense contracts across the state. Comparable statewide contract structure to the Oregon Public Defense Services relationship MPD contracts under.
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles: Nonprofit legal aid and public defense provider serving low-income clients in LA County with holistic and barrier-reduction services. Comparable in mission to MPD's Community Law Division but operates in a different metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mpdlaw1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Public Defender