About Rhett L.
Rhett L. Bernstein trained first as an undergraduate at the University of Puget Sound, where he studied business and political institutions. He then earned his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1999 and completed a Certificate in Criminal Law and Procedure at the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. Those years set a clear legal direction.
He began his public-sector career in the early 2000s. In 2002 he worked as a deputy district lawyer in the Linn County District Lawyer’s Office. That role put him in court frequently and exposed him to a steady stream of criminal matters. He moved into municipal prosecution a few years later, holding a prosecuting lawyer position in West Linn in 2007 and later serving as the City of Milwaukie’s prosecuting lawyer in 2012. He then served as a municipal court judge for the City of West Linn in 2013, presiding over a range of ordinance and misdemeanor cases.
In 2005 he launched his own practice under the name Rhett L. Bernstein, Lawyer at Law. From that base he has handled DUII and criminal defense matters. His practice has combined courtroom work and client counseling. He has experience on both sides of the aisle: as a prosecutor early in his career and as a defense lawyer in private practice.
He joined the Clackamas County Bar Association in 2005 and later became a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association in 2015. Those memberships reflect ongoing engagement with local and national professional networks and provide access to continuing legal education and peer resources.
Colleagues and court records show a practitioner who spends most of his time in state and municipal courts across Oregon. His background includes trial work, pretrial negotiations, and appearances in municipal court dockets. The certification in criminal law and procedure complements his hands-on courtroom experience.
He lives and works in Oregon and maintains an active private practice handling criminal cases. He currently concentrates on DUII and criminal defense in Oregon.
