About Rich
Rich Oberdorfer has spent decades representing people in trouble with the law all across Oregon, defending cases from DUII to homicide. He has been a speaker for the Oregon State Bar, the Oregon Municipal Judges Association, and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (OCDLA), covering topics from jury selection, cross-exam, and alcohol and drug pharmacology. He has testified at the Oregon legislature on behalf of OCDLA. He is passionate about helping those in trouble.
Rich also has experience in civil, administrative, and appellate law, with wins at the Oregon Court of Appeals reversing a restrictive interpretation of diversion eligibility, championing the right to counsel, and laying the foundation for successful scientific evidence challenges. Throughout his career, he has maintained links to civil practice, successfully litigating premises liability and motor vehicle cases. He has worked on cases involving toxic torts, medical malpractice, employment law and civil rights. He is a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. He is licensed to practice before all Oregon courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is passionate about helping people who have been hurt.
Rich has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of DUI/DWI Defense. In 2023 he was selected to Oregon Super Lawyers, having previously been selected as a Rising Star in DUII defense, 2008-2012, and afterward as a Top Rated DUI-DWI Attorney. He is rated a “10″ in Avvo.com’s professional listings.
Background
Rich graduated cum laude from the Lewis & Clark Law School in 2001 after an undergraduate history degree from the University of Oregon in 1996. Before and during law school he worked at Rieke & Savage PC, a firm specializing in Measure 11 and murder defense that included a civil practice as well. He operated his own law firm from 2002 to 2024.
In addition to his busy law practice, Rich enjoyed three years of public service as the municipal judge for the City of Gaston starting in 2021. St. Helens, Oregon City and Bend later appointed him as a pro tem judge, and he appreciated the opportunity to give back to all these communities. He grew up in Bend, and St. Helens was the original point of Oregon immigration for the Oberdorfer family who arrived to work in the mill in 1925. It was an honor to serve in each of these communities and to better understand the view from the bench.
