Jo Perini-Abbott
Candidate for:
Multnomah County Circuit Court - Position 5
What drives me to seek an elected position
When one of my law students asks me, “Professor Jo, what kind of law should I practice?” I ask them, “How would you like to serve your community?” The law is about service. I’m running for judge because I want to serve my community by upholding the law ethically, fairly and competently.
As a working mom, litigator and law professor, I believe there has never been a more critical moment for our democracy, community and economy to ensure our laws are upheld with expertise, care and respect.
Knowing there is a place where people and businesses can turn to for a fair and just result when there is a breached contract, a dispute with a neighbor or a crime is what allows people to trust each other and trust the system. Trust in the system is built by having judges who treat every case as important, every party as a person and every decision as an obligation to uphold the rule of law.
From representing Fortune 100 companies to defendants who can’t afford an attorney, victims of crime and local businesses, I have built the skills needed to handle the variety of cases that come to court. I understand the nuances of a complex civil case between companies and how to handle emotionally charged situations that arise in criminal matters.
The first three priorities or issues I want to tackle
As a judicial candidate, I am required to remain impartial and cannot take positions on policy. My top priorities in this position, in order for our courts to handle high case loads and rebuild trust, are to act with care, credibility and connection.
CARE means preparation, engagement and treating every person with dignity. The time spent in front of a judge stays with someone forever. I will never lose that sense of gravity. As a public defender, I represented a 60-year-old client who couldn’t read. On my own time, I taught him. It didn’t change his sentence, but gave him more confidence and less fear.
CREDIBILITY is built through experience, work ethic and fairness. Judges should bring experience that matches the diversity of the cases they’ll hear and a work ethic to meet the urgency of the moment. Over my career, I’ve handled complex, high-stakes criminal and civil matters. That diligence and work ethic builds credibility.
CONNECTION ensures every person is heard and understands the process. As an attorney, I have a duty to connect with clients—to hear and respect them; to explain complex legal issues in a way that empowers them to make fully informed decisions.
Across my career, I’ve worked to ensure people are not just represented, but heard and understood.
The experiences and insights I will bring to the office
My career runs the gamut. I’ve represented defendants and victims, large and small businesses and individuals. Now I train students who will go into all areas of the law—prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, plaintiffs attorneys and civil defense. Having seen the system from all sides I bring a unique perspective to every case. But perhaps what surprises people the most is that as a criminal defense attorney, I have a husband in law enforcement.
Four mornings a week, my husband returns home at 6 a.m. from a 10-hour shift with the Portland Police Bureau. On those mornings, I sit with him and drink my coffee while he eats his dinner. I get to see the system through his eyes, and he gets to see the system through mine. It makes us both better.
I will bring to the bench that respect for all sides in the process. I know and understand what law enforcement is faced with on the street every night; I know and understand that every lawyer who walks into a courtroom is there doing their job in the adversarial process to represent their client; I know and understand that every person who walks into the courtroom is a human with a problem that they are trusting the court to resolve.
What being a Democrat in Multnomah County means to me
As a judicial candidate running in a nonpartisan race I cannot state a position on an issue that may come before the court.
That said, I have a been lifelong registered Democrat across at least five different states. I believe firmly that the ballot box and courtroom are the strongest stalwarts for democracy we have in our system. And I would be proud to be part of that as a judge for Multnomah County.