--- title: "Benjamin N Souede | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/benjamin-n-souede-judge-multnomah-county-circuit-court-120-or" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Benjamin N Souede Multnomah County Circuit Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: Multnomah County Circuit Court - State: Oregon - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic devices recording Scope: statewide Oregon OJD guidance under UTCR 3.180 requires advance permission from the judge or court designee before electronic notes, courtroom recording, or electronic transmission from the courtroom. Evidence excerpt: you need advance permission from the judge or court designee before you [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording limits Scope: statewide Oregon OJD guidance lists proceedings and materials where recording is not allowed, including juvenile cases, many family-law cases, voir dire, private conversations, jurors, and recesses. Evidence excerpt: Recording is never allowed for [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing platform Scope: statewide Oregon OJD states that remote hearings use Webex and that the court provides case participants with the link to join the hearing. Evidence excerpt: The court uses Webex to host these remote hearings and will provide case participants with the link to join the hearing. [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote public access Scope: statewide Oregon OJD explains that eligible remote hearings may be live-streamed for public viewing through Webex Events, subject to limitations and court access instructions. Evidence excerpt: If the remote hearing is eligible for public viewing, it will be live-streamed through Webex Events [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### livestream access Scope: statewide Oregon OJD publishes live stream access instructions and states that live streaming begins shortly before scheduled proceedings. Evidence excerpt: Live streaming of proceedings begins approximately five minutes before the scheduled proceeding time. [Oregon Judicial Department: Live Stream Proceedings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/live-stream.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/Pages/judges.aspx) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/Pages/judges.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department official judicial roster](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/Pages/judges.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Live Stream Proceedings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/live-stream.aspx) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/benjamin-n-souede-judge-multnomah-county-circuit-court-120-or", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/benjamin-n-souede-judge-multnomah-county-circuit-court-120-or", "name": "Benjamin N Souede | KnowJudges", "description": "Benjamin N Souede, Multnomah County Circuit Court. 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Souede is a judge of the 4th Judicial District Circuit Court of Oregon (Multnomah County), serving in Position 30 since his appointment in 2017 by then‐Governor Kate Brown - Earlier, he held the role of a senior advisor in the Office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (2005) and as a law clerk to Judge Susan P. Graber on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2002–2004) ### Education - B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania (1999) and a J.D. from Harvard Law School (2002). ### Additional information - General Counsel to Governor Kate Brown from 2015 to 2017, the same period leading to his judicial appointment. - Before that, he practiced law at Angeli Ungar Law Group LLC (2010–2015), Lane Powell PC (2007–2010), and Williams & Connolly LLP (2006–2007). - He has been admitted to practice in New York (2005), D.C. (2006), Oregon (2008), and Washington (2012) - Souede presides over a variety of civil cases in Multnomah County, including contract disputes, torts, and malpractice claims. - He also issued a notable ruling in a $51 billion climate change lawsuit against Chevron, rejecting a “fraud on the court” claim but criticizing the county’s lead attorney for an “almost gobsmacking failure” in disclosure ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-ff5e00a9af0f76923062d353) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx). Collected 2026-07-26.