Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony on bill to fund law‑school criminal defense clinics

PORTLAND — On Feb. 4 the Oregon Senate Committee on Judiciary opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 474, which would create the Criminal Defense Clinical Legal Education Program within the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and establish a dedicated fund to support law‑school misdemeanor defense clinics. The bill is written to take effect July 1, 2025.

Sen. Prozanski, who said she filed the bill, told the committee the measure aims to sustain funding for existing clinics at Oregon’s three law schools and to help address a shortage of attorneys available for constitutionally guaranteed criminal defense. “This is a great training opportunity for young people who may want to get into public service such as defense,” she said during opening remarks.

Jillian (committee staff) opened the hearing with a short summary of the bill’s structure and effective date. Rachel Marmont, an attorney with Metropolitan Public Defender and an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School,…