This guide builds on the Oregon guide, which covers RPC 7.1, RPC 7.2(c), and the Oregon State Bar's AI opinion. Here the focus is the local market: one county with several court buildings, inside a metro area that crosses county lines.
The local search area
Multnomah County describes itself as the smallest of Oregon's 36 counties by area and lists six cities: Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Portland, Troutdale, and Wood Village. The regional government, Metro, serves 24 cities across Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Tigard, and Milwaukie.
A reader in Beaverton or Oregon City may search for "Portland lawyer," but neither city is on Multnomah County's list of its cities, so their case is likely headed to a different county's circuit court. One strong Portland page that says which counties you serve, plus separate county pages where the court facts genuinely differ, does more than a stack of suburb pages with swapped names.
Getting the local court facts right
The Multnomah County Circuit Court lists four locations:
| Location | Address |
|---|---|
| Multnomah County Courthouse | 1200 SW 1st Ave, Portland |
| Justice Center, Third Floor | 1120 SW Third Avenue, Portland |
| Juvenile Justice Center | 1401 NE 68th Avenue, Portland |
| East County Courthouse | 18480 SE Stark Street, Portland |
The court runs separate probate, family law, civil, and criminal departments. Building and room assignments can change, so we confirm the current location with the court before a page names one.
What differs from the rest of Oregon
Probate is a circuit court matter in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties alike, unlike the six eastern Oregon counties where the county court handles it. What changes in Portland is venue. Under ORS 113.015, venue for opening an estate starts with the county where the decedent was domiciled, and also allows the county where property is located, where the decedent died, or where a personal injury or wrongful death claim could be maintained. A family in Tigard and a family in Gresham may both call a Portland firm and still belong in different courts.
If you also take clients from Washington, each page should say which state's law it explains and where your attorneys are licensed.
What we build for Portland firms
- Practice-area pages that name the right Multnomah County court location for each matter
- Clackamas and Washington County pages only where you take clients and the court facts differ
- Answer posts for the questions Portland-area clients ask before they call
The estate planning guide shows why probate venue matters on these pages, and the family law guide covers the court questions divorce clients raise. If you are weighing suburb pages, read whether city pages still work for lawyers.
Common questions
Should a Portland firm build pages for Beaverton or Lake Oswego?
Only where you take clients there and the page has something distinct to say. Neither city is on Multnomah County's list of its cities, so a reader there may be dealing with a different county's circuit court than a Portland reader.
Where is the Multnomah County Circuit Court?
The court lists its main building as the Multnomah County Courthouse at 1200 SW 1st Ave, Portland, with the East County Courthouse at 18480 SE Stark Street among its other locations. Check the court's own page before publishing, since locations can change.
Keep reading
Sources
- Multnomah County, About Multnomah County
- Oregon Metro, Cities and counties of the region
- Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court home page (Fourth Judicial District)
- Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court mailing addresses (linked above)
- Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court contacts
- Oregon Judicial Department, list of circuit courts
- Oregon Revised Statutes, ORS 111.075 (2025 edition)
- Oregon Revised Statutes, ORS 113.015 (2025 edition)