Attorney General Dan Rayfield Names Jose Klein as Chief Counsel of The Trial Division

Attorney General Dan Rayfield today announced the appointment of Jose Klein as Chief Counsel of the Oregon Department of Justice Trial Division. Klein, a seasoned litigator with deep roots in Oregon's legal community and prior service as an Assistant Attorney General, will officially join the department on July 6.

"Jose brings exactly the kind of experience, leadership, and institutional knowledge our Trial Division needs," said Attorney General Rayfield. "He has handled hundreds of cases, led teams of attorneys, and has already served this office. He knows our mission and he's deeply committed to it, and I'm thrilled to welcome him back."

Since 2017, Klein has been a partner and co-owner of Klein Munsinger LLC in Portland, where he has led employment litigation, conducted workplace investigations, and served as a mediator. Over the course of his career, he has served as lead counsel in state and federal jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, and appellate proceedings, managing all phases of complex litigation. He has also supervised associate attorneys, contract attorneys, and legal staff.

"The Trial Division is where some of the most consequential legal work in this state happens," said Klein. "I've seen it firsthand, and getting to be part of it again, alongside attorneys who are genuinely committed to doing right by Oregonians, is a tremendous honor and something I don't take lightly."

Klein previously served as an Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice, working in both the Child Advocacy Section - representing the State's interests in permanency and termination of parental rights proceedings - and the Special Litigation Unit, where he defended state agencies in complex constitutional and civil litigation. Before joining the DOJ, Klein clerked for Justice Martha Walters at the Oregon Supreme Court.

Klein earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2008, his M.A. from the University of Amsterdam, and his B.A. from Vassar College. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname, South America from 2002 to 2004.