OPD Contract Attorney

The Office of State Public Defender (OPD) in Montana has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for contract attorneys to provide legal representation in criminal and civil matters statewide. The solicitation, identified as OPD-RFP/RFQ-2022-0123, seeks to establish a pool of qualified contract public defenders who can be appointed to cases as needed. Interested attorneys must complete a series of required questions and submit specific documentation, including a fillable PDF form, current resume, writing sample, proof of professional liability insurance, and most recent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) transcript. Candidates must have an active or recently expired Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OPD and be prepared to provide professional legal services classified under commodity code 3920. The solicitation was released on December 7, 2021, with an open date of September 28, 2021, and an unusually extended close date of January 1, 2099. The primary contact for this opportunity is Jennifer Kueffler, reachable at Jennifer.Kueffler@mt.gov or +1 406-496-6089.

While the RFQ does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, it appears to be focused on individual attorneys with active legal credentials in Montana. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are mentioned in the available documentation. The solicitation does not provide details on award values, budget ranges, or specific contract amounts, suggesting a flexible approach to engaging legal professionals as needed. The document indicates this is an ongoing procurement to maintain a roster of qualified contract attorneys who can be appointed to represent clients through the Office of State Public Defender. The procurement seems designed to ensure a robust and responsive pool of legal professionals capable of handling criminal and civil matters across the state, with the flexibility to assign attorneys to cases based on their qualifications and availability.