Tom Collins Biography

Tom grew up in a small town in South Dakota, adjoining the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. He attended college at the University of South Dakota before transferring to Portland State University to complete his undergraduate degree in Political Science. While in both high school and college, he worked on numerous political campaigns, including being a regional coordinator for a gubernatorial campaign, and working on the presidential campaign of South Dakota’s George McGovern.

His continued interest in public policy and debate led him into a legal career, as he attended Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. While in law school, he began working as a certified law student with the Metropolitan Public Defender’s Office. That experience led to a staff attorney position in the Washington County Office upon completion of his law degree. He remained with the PD’s office for 7 years, gaining extensive trial experience in all types of cases including homicides, rapes, robberies and others. He spent his last year with that office as Senior Felony Attorney overseeing attorneys and staff in the section, along with mentoring lawyers moving from misdemeanors to felonies in Multnomah County.

In 1988, he began his practice in Hillsboro, where he has remained. He expanded the scope of his practice to include all aspects of family and juvenile law, while still engaging in criminal law.

Community activities over the years have included eight years on the board of directors of a community mental health center in Portland, as well as serving on the board of directors of drug and alcohol program in Washington County. He has been active in the Boy Scouts as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster, as well as coaching youth baseball and basketball. He enjoys basketball, and following local college basketball teams as well as gardening and reading. He has been a volunteer at a residential hospice program weekly for the past 5 years.