Judicial Profile: The Honorable Steffan Alexander, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge: Former Prosecutor and Civil Litigator Appointed to the Bench
Judge Alexander started his legal career at the State Attorney’s Office in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Gainesville, Florida prosecuting misdemeanor and felony crimes. After five years in criminal practice, Judge Alexander took a job as in-house litigation counsel with an energy company in Florida. In 2012, he moved to Portland, where his wife is from, to raise their children closer to family. He worked at Markowitz Herbold PC, a boutique civil litigation firm, earning partnership in 2017. In his civil litigation practice, Judge Alexander handled everything from complex business litigation to plaintiff-side personal injury cases. His experience runs the gamut from trusts and estates to employment matters, contract disputes and intellectual property issues.
Judge Alexander has spent many hours giving back to the community: as a board member of the Classroom Law Project, a mock trial coach at Jefferson High School and as a volunteer for local nonprofits. In 2019, Governor Kate Brown appointed him to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Judge Alexander felt called to serve because he wants to make a positive difference in the lives of people who come before the court.
Judge Alexander’s unique perspective - as a criminal prosecutor, in-house counsel, and private practice civil litigator - affords him the opportunity to make a daily impact on those who appear in his courtroom. He strives to give litigants a fair chance to be heard, treat them with dignity and see their humanity. He values professionalism and preparation from attorneys, and also listens attentively to the individuals appearing pro se. As a member of the bench, Judge Alexander knows that he is in a privileged position to give back to the community and contribute to ongoing efforts to make the justice system more accessible and effective for all the people it serves.
If you asked Judge Alexander, he would say that becoming a member of the Multnomah County Circuit Court was the best way for him to give back to his community. It’s not a job where you can just go through the motions - it takes dedication, long hours, and a drive to help others. As a judge, it’s a challenge he happily faces every day.
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