Johnson & Lechman-Su: Attorneys

After completing his military service, Peter attended the University of Oregon, where he received an undergraduate degree in History with an emphasis in Latin American History. While attending school, he clerked for Bahr & Stotter, a law firm specializing in Freedom of Information Act cases, land use, and environmental issues.

At the same time, Peter volunteered extensively with Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment and Communities Against Hate to eliminate bias and prejudice by working with local and regional politicians and speaking to different community groups to fight racism.

While attending the University of Oregon School of Law, Peter clerked at the law office of Peggy A. Bond, a domestic relations attorney. Peter became familiar with the wide variety of legal issues involved in domestic relations cases. Working closely with clients, while at the same time undergoing his own divorce, helped Peter understand the intense emotional issues that accompany such cases.

After receiving his law degree in 2000, Peter clerked for Everett Dial. A year later, Peter opened his own law firm specializing in indigent criminal defense. In addition to providing legal defense, Peter worked closely with his clients to identify and solve underlying problems, helping to keep his clients clean, sober, and crime-free.

In 2003, Peter moved to Portland, Oregon, and joined the Juvenile Rights Project as a staff attorney, where he represented children who had been removed from their parents due to extreme neglect and abuse. He also represented teenagers whose own children had been removed from their care. Those experiences helped Peter better understand the complex psychological challenges facing parents as well as children.

At the Juvenile Rights Project, Peter spent a significant amount of time in court. Although he has extensive courtroom experience and enjoys trial work, Peter understands that many cases can reach a better resolution through negotiations.

Peter's experience in the courtroom and his ability to explain the legal process to his clients greatly assist him in narrowing legal issues and putting them into perspective, both for his clients and for opposing counsel.

Peter is a member of the Oregon State Bar, the Family Law Section of the Bar, the Juvenile Law Section of the Bar, the Multnomah Bar Association, and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Peter currently lives in Northeast Portland with his well cared-for plants.

Peter's practice includes expertise in the following areas:
- Family Law
- Juvenile Dependency
- Juvenile Delinquency

Contact Peter by calling 503.224.1640, extension 235, or e-mailing him at petere@jrl-s.com

Peter Ellingson was born and raised in Oregon by hard-working parents who taught him the value of acknowledging and celebrating diversity. Upon graduation from high school, Peter entered the Army and served four years in Schweinfurt, Germany, and Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he worked with people from extremely dissimilar backgrounds to achieve common goals.