Kell Alterman & Runstein, LLP

	Attorneys

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Practice areas

Criminal law

Family law

Personal injury/
medical malpractice/
product liability

Robin Runstein

As the only criminal defense lawyer on the Kell, Alterman & Runstein roster, Robin Runstein enjoys a healthy dose of independence. And she wouldn't have it any other way. "I like being accountable to myself and my clients more than anything," she explains. "In criminal law, you have to be persistent. You have to do whatever it takes for your client. And the more flexible the surroundings, the more you can dedicate your full attention to solving your client's problems."

And few problems get Robin's juices flowing like a good defense challenge. She particularly feeds off the sustained energy and adrenaline of a trial, which she likens to competitive soccer (she played four years of varsity soccer at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst): "You have two opposing sides and a referee, and you have to prepare a ton before the trial arrives. Once it starts, you have to constantly adapt to changing conditions. The whole thing keeps me energized and fresh--I just love it."

Now she's directing her seemingly limitless energy to other practice areas, including family law and personal injury claims. The latter, not surprisingly, is the specialty of Ted Runstein, her father and one of the firm's partners.

It was Ted's enthusiasm for the profession, expressed each night at the dinner table while Robin was growing up, that eventually led to her studying law. "He would practice his closing arguments over dinner, and you could tell he loved every second of it," she says. "He was the only adult I knew who loved his job. And it was amazing to me that he could take a single subject and come up with so many different angles and interpretations."

Robin left Portland for the East Coast in the late '80s to study business at UMass, then graduated with a J.D. from New York Law School in 1995. When she returned to the Northwest later that year, she took a job with the public defender's office, a stint she describes as "very cool." She also spent two years working with a high-end criminal defense lawyer in Portland following the birth of her first son and a few years practicing on her own.

Working with several organizations and a wide variety of clients has taught her one of a litigator's most important skills: when to put on the gloves and when to back off. "I wear a lot of different hats as a lawyer," she says. "Sometimes I put up a full fight, but sometimes I perform damage control by steering people into programs or other services. It all comes down to finding the best way to help your client."

Her pragmatism extends to family matters. Though she misses the intensity and community of the East Coast, Robin believes Portland is a much easier place to raise her two sons. It's also a good soccer town, which is one reason she spends her free time playing in local soccer leagues. More significantly, a competitive spirit needs plenty of exercise, whether on the field, in the courtroom, or at home with her kids. And these days, Robin's spirit is rarely tired.

Professional and civic activities

Oregon State Bar
New York State Bar

Admitted to practice

Oregon
New York

Education

B.S., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1991
J.D., New York Law School, 1995

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