OPD Contract Attorney

The Montana Office of State Public Defender (OPD) issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) numbered OPD-RFP/RFQ-2019-0024 seeking qualified private attorneys to provide legal representation in criminal and civil matters statewide. The procurement specifically targets contract attorneys who can serve as public defenders throughout Montana, with the solicitation open from October 25, 2018, to October 25, 2020. Interested attorneys were required to submit several mandatory documents, including a completed fillable PDF form, current resume, professional writing sample, proof of professional liability insurance, and a recent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) transcript. The qualification process necessitated attorneys to confirm their current or recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) status with OPD. Attorneys were evaluated based on their professional qualifications, with the commodity code 3920 for Professional Services - Legal Services applied to this procurement. The primary contact for this opportunity was Brett Schandelson, reachable at Brett.Schandelson@mt.gov or +1 406-523-5142.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the documentation. The solicitation appeared open to qualified private attorneys meeting the professional requirements, without apparent limitations on firm size or ownership demographics. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the provided materials, and no specific infrastructure or technology integration requirements were noted. Similarly, the documentation did not disclose specific award values, contract budgets, or compensation ranges for the contract attorney positions. The procurement was focused on securing qualified legal professionals to provide public defender services across Montana, with the primary goal of ensuring comprehensive legal representation in criminal and civil matters for the state's residents.