Janet Hoffman is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney based in Portland, Oregon. The mission and culture of Hoffman Law is a direct reflection of her commitment to defend and protect her clients, to be their ally and advocate, and to fight on their behalf in every instance. As founder of the firm, Ms. Hoffman is both colleague and mentor to the shareholders and handpicked, highly skilled associates of the firm.

Ms. Hoffman has dedicated her career to providing the highest quality defense to all her clients while striving to raise the standard of practice through creative and zealous advocacy. Her mark in trade is to advance innovative legal defenses and to promote aggressive motion practice. Ms. Hoffman has established significant legal precedent in both state and federal courts, involving a wide range of criminal issues such as white-collar and corporate crimes, fraud, environmental crimes, violent crimes, corruption and sex crimes. She also is a leader in the profession through her ongoing teaching and publishing.

In the more than 40 years Janet Hoffman has practiced criminal defense, she has obtained the highest professional ratings. She is a member of the International Society of Barristers and was awarded an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell (the top rating in skill and ethics) by her peers. Janet is also a member of the Portland Business Journal’s BizWomen Coalition, a membership group of C-level executives and business owners.

Ms. Hoffman has been listed in Super Lawyers since 2007 and has been frequently included as one of Oregon’s top 50 lawyers and top 25 women lawyers in Oregon. She also has been among the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2001 and has been selected by her peers as Portland’s “Lawyer of the Year” via Best Lawyers multiple times since 2013.

“Being a Super Lawyer means having the ability to listen carefully to the client and articulate information they would otherwise be unable to present on their own behalf,” Ms. Hoffman said. “It means mastering the rules of evidence and being able to argue for your client’s best interests in ways that are new, innovative and successful. It also means not losing sight of the fact that because of our bar licenses, we have a monopoly on this system. That monopoly requires us to maintain the highest integrity and compassion for the people we serve.”

Ms. Hoffman is a frequent speaker and instructor on topics related to voir dire, jury selection, use of demonstrative evidence, cross-examination, trial techniques, expert witness testimony, presentation of defense theories and the Oregon Evidence Code. She has taught trial practice skills in multiple states.

She began her career as a public defender and is a member of the Gus J. Solomon Inn of Court and an editor of the Oregon State Bar Litigation Journal. In the past, Ms. Hoffman served on the editorial board of the Oregon State Bar litigation journal, as a member of the Board of Governors of the Oregon State Bar, and on the Board of the Multnomah Bar Association. She also served on the Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee and the ACLU Lawyers’ Committee (Northern District).

She received her BA from the University of Redlands in 1973 and her JD from Boston College Law School in 1977. She worked as a public defender until 1981, when she entered private practice.

In her spare time, Ms. Hoffman also serves on the board of Literary Arts.