Oregon Legal Overview: Portland The Portland metropolitan area is defined by the Census Bureau as covering five counties in Oregon and two in Washington. Officially, it is known as the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA. This MSA includes the Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon, along with two more counties in the state of Washington. The circuit courts that are located in each county are the main trial courts with general jurisdiction. Listed below are the main Oregon cities in the Portland metro area.
Top Oregon cities for Legal Issues: Portland
1. Portland spans across Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Portland area residents who live in Multnomah County must file cases with the Multnomah County Circuit Court, located in Portland. This court has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases filed in the county, and hears everything from felonies to personal injury lawsuits. A family court handling domestic violence, divorce, juvenile and probate is a part of the circuit court. The Clackamas County Circuit Court is located in Oregon City, while the Washington County Circuit Court is in Hillsboro.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against trial court verdicts in all five counties must be filed with the Oregon Court of Appeals, which is located in Salem, OR. Appeals against this intermediate appellate court may be heard by the Oregon Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the state. Federal court cases in the Portland metro area must be filed with the Portland Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Federal appeals in Oregon are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. |