Partner · Medical negligence & catastrophic injury
Jane Paulson
One of Oregon’s most accomplished trial lawyers, and the first woman to lead the state’s chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
- Lawyer of the Year
- Five times
- Super Lawyers
- Top 10 since 2015
- Admitted
- Oregon & Washington
Our clients don’t come to us because something small went wrong. They come to us because something changed their lives. We live and work in the same communities they do, and our job is to make sure their story is understood—and that the people responsible are held accountable.
Meet Jane Paulson
Decades of courtroom experience, on the hardest medical cases
Jane Paulson is one of Oregon’s most respected and accomplished trial lawyers. A Portland personal injury lawyer with decades of courtroom experience, she represents individuals and families throughout Oregon and Washington in medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability and other complex civil cases.
Jane has secured multimillion-dollar jury verdicts and settlements for clients facing devastating consequences from medical negligence, unsafe practices, dangerous products and corporate wrongdoing. A five-time recipient of Best Lawyers’ Portland “Lawyer of the Year” recognition, she has earned a national reputation for excellence in the courtroom and for maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
Jane is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers — two of the legal profession’s most selective trial-lawyer organizations. She is also a longtime leader in Oregon’s trial bar. In 2015, Jane became the first woman to serve as president of the Oregon Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Drawing on decades of courtroom experience — including her early work representing defendants — she understands how corporations, insurance companies, healthcare institutions and their attorneys evaluate and defend significant claims. She uses that insight to uncover the truth, present complicated evidence clearly, and ensure that her clients’ voices are heard.
Her record
A record of exceptional results
Jane has obtained substantial verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice, wrongful death, motor vehicle, construction accident and catastrophic injury cases.
$19M
Settlement in a construction-accident case involving a fall from a roof.
$18M
Verdict for the family of a young man who was killed after being run over by a Greyhound bus.
- $10M
- Verdict in a medical-malpractice case involving the failure to diagnose a spinal epidural abscess.
- $9M
- Settlement for a delay in diagnosing sepsis during pregnancy, resulting in amputations.
- $7.8M
- Settlement for medical malpractice involving the failure to diagnose a teenager’s heart defect.
- $7.3M
- Settlement for a motorcyclist who was severely injured by an object that fell from a commercial vehicle.
- $5.6M
- Verdict in a motor-vehicle collision case.
- $3.7M
- Verdict in a medical-malpractice case involving a delay in diagnosing a stroke.
Results depend on the specific facts of each case. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Recognition
National and statewide recognition
Jane has repeatedly been recognized by her peers for excellence in trial advocacy, professionalism, leadership and service to the legal community.
Best Lawyers
Portland “Lawyer of the Year,” five times
A peer-voted honor given to one lawyer per category, per city, per year.
- 2018 — Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
- 2020 — Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
- 2024 — Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
- 2026 — Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
- 2027 — Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
She has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs.
Super Lawyers
Selected every year since 2006
- Jane Paulson was ranked #2 on the Oregon Super Lawyers Top 10 list in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2026, and #3 in 2018, 2019 and 2023.
- Jane Paulson has been named to the Oregon Super Lawyers Top 10 list every year from 2015 through 2026.
- Jane Paulson has been named to the Top 25 Women Oregon Super Lawyers list every year from 2006 through 2026.
- Jane Paulson has been named to the Oregon Super Lawyers Top 50 list in 2009 and every year from 2011 through 2026.
She has also been recognized as one of Portland’s best lawyers by Portland Monthly.
Awards from the bar
Honored for professionalism and service
- 2021 — Distinguished Trial Lawyer, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
- 2017 — Professionalism Award, Multnomah Bar Association, recognizing the highest ethical standards and exemplary conduct in the practice of law
- 2015 — Justice Betty Roberts Award, Oregon Women Lawyers, honoring an outstanding contribution to promoting women in the legal profession and in the community
Leadership in the trial bar
The organizations that set the standard — she has led them
Jane has held leadership positions in several of Oregon’s most important trial-lawyer organizations.
ABOTA, Oregon Chapter
First woman president, 2015
The American Board of Trial Advocates is a national, invitation-only organization of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to preserving the right to a civil jury trial and promoting professionalism and integrity in the legal profession.
Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
President, 2004–2005
Jane served on OTLA’s board from 1995 through 2006. From 2000 through 2004 she was one of only two Association of Trial Lawyers of America delegates representing Oregon.
American College of Trial Lawyers
Fellow, invited 2012
At the time, she was one of only five women attorneys in Oregon belonging to the organization. Her election also made Jane and her father, respected trial lawyer Chuck Paulson, one of the College’s few father–daughter Fellows.
International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Member · also the Summit Council
The Academy is limited to 500 active trial lawyers from the United States. The Summit Council is a national organization of accomplished civil-justice attorneys committed to excellence, integrity and the advancement of the civil-justice system.
Education and early career
She learned how the other side thinks
Jane spent her early career defending corporations and insurers. She now draws on that knowledge when representing injured people and their families.
- Law school
- University of Virginia School of LawJuris Doctor.
- Clerkship
- Judicial law clerk, U.S. District CourtClerked for United States District Judge James M. Burns.
- Early practice
- Several years at a defense firmThat experience gave her valuable insight into how defendants, corporations, insurance companies and their lawyers assess and defend complex civil cases.
Service to the profession and community
How she gives back
Jane believes trial lawyers have a responsibility to serve both their profession and their community. She has served on numerous local and state bar committees and has devoted her time to organizations working to expand access, opportunity and justice.
Habitat for Humanity
For many years, Jane served on the board of Habitat for Humanity Portland Region.
Center for Women’s Leadership
She served on the board of the Center for Women’s Leadership at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government.
Campaign for Equal Justice
Jane has also served on the board of the Campaign for Equal Justice, which supports civil legal aid in Oregon.
Teaching trial advocacy
As an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, Jane taught Advanced Trial Advocacy, helping prepare future lawyers to advocate persuasively, effectively and ethically for their clients.
Outside the courtroom
Family, community, and a fiercely contested pickleball game
Away from her law practice, Jane values spending time with her family and giving back to her community. She is also a devoted — and highly competitive — pickleball player and fan.
- Family
- Community
- Pickleball
Family legacy
Jane and her father, respected trial lawyer Chuck Paulson, were one of the few father–daughter pairs elected as Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
In the news
Her cases make news beyond the courtroom
Work with Jane
Tell us what happened. We will tell you what we see.
Free, confidential, and no obligation to hire the firm.
No surprises
What happens after you reach out
Most people have never called a lawyer before. Here is the whole thing, so none of it is a surprise.
Nobody will pressure you to sign anything on the first call.
Step 1 · Today
You tell us what happened
Ten or fifteen minutes, in your own words. Bring nothing — no records, no report, no notes.
Step 2 · Same call
We tell you what we think
Whether there may be a case, what deadline you are up against, and what it would take. If we are not the right firm, we say who might be.
Step 3 · If you want us to
We gather the evidence
We request the records and reports at our expense, and the insurance company starts dealing with us instead of you.
Step 4 · Always
You stay in control
We recommend; you decide. Accepting an offer or asking a jury instead is your call, every time.