Our Attorney
Robert Vierya-Braendle is a nearly life-long Oregonian who has spent most of his life living in the Mid-Willamette Valley. He grew up in northeast Salem, Oregon. Like many people who have grown up in Salem, his father was a state employee in the Oregon Department of Transportation. His mother was a healthcare professional at Salem Hospital, and like everyone else in his neighborhood, his family was decidedly working class.
After graduating from North Salem High School, Robert went to Chemeketa Community College before transferring to Oregon State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He soon thereafter began working as an engineer in the Silicon Forest doing process development for a semiconductor manufacturer. He also went on to earn a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from San Jose State University.
After nearly a decade as an engineer, Robert decided to pursue a new career as a lawyer. He attended Lewis and Clark Law School in their evening program so he could continue to work his full-time job during the day. During law school, he gained practical experience in the Small Business Legal Clinic and worked as a law clerk at a local personal injury law firm. During this time, he discovered how inaccessible legal help is, due to cost, for many people.
After being admitted to the Oregon Bar in October 2021, he opened up Working Class Legal Services to help provide legal assistance to other working-class families in the Mid-Willamette Valley.