OPD Contract Attorney

The State of Montana Office of State Public Defender (OPD) issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) numbered OPD-RFP/RFQ-2019-0038 seeking qualified private attorneys to provide legal representation in criminal and civil matters across the state, specifically targeting contract attorneys for Pondera County. The procurement was open from April 24, 2019, to April 24, 2021, and required interested attorneys to complete mandatory questions and submit specific documentation including a fillable PDF form, current resume, writing sample, proof of professional liability insurance, and a recent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) transcript. Attorneys were required to confirm their current or recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) status with OPD, with a provision allowing those whose MOU expired less than 30 days prior to still be considered. The solicitation was coded under Commodity Code 3920 for Professional Services - Legal Services, with Brett Schandelson serving as the primary contact, reachable at Brett.Schandelson@mt.gov or +1 406-523-5142. Key objectives included expanding OPD's pool of contract attorneys who can be appointed to handle legal cases throughout Montana.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations were explicitly detailed in the available documentation. The procurement did not indicate incumbent vendors, existing infrastructure requirements, or integration specifications. While the document provided comprehensive qualitative requirements for attorneys, no specific monetary value, funding details, or budget range was disclosed. The solicitation appeared to be a standard qualification process focused on recruiting private attorneys with demonstrated legal expertise and the capacity to provide public defender services. Potential respondents were expected to meet professional standards, maintain current legal credentials, and demonstrate the ability to handle diverse legal representation needs across criminal and civil matter domains.