Matthew Tracey was born and raised in North Bend, Oregon. After graduating from North Bend High School, Matthew traveled to South Bend, Indiana, where he attended the University of Notre Dame. He graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude.

Matthew then attended law school at University of Oregon. During law school, Matthew discovered a passion for courtroom litigation and sought numerous opportunities to gain experience while assisting low-income clientele. As a student, Matthew participated in the University’s Criminal Defense clinic, where he provided free legal representation to indigent clients facing prosecution. He spent his summer months volunteering as a legal intern with Southwestern Oregon Public Defense Services, where he conducted legal research for attorneys and earned more firsthand courtroom experience defending clients. Matthew further broadened his skills by serving as a research assistant for domestic violence and legal aid issues under Professor Merle Weiner.

After passing the bar exam, Matthew worked as a full-time staff attorney with Intermountain Public Defender in Pendleton, Oregon. He appeared in court almost daily in order to represent clients for misdemeanors, felonies, dependencies, delinquencies, mental commitments, probation violation hearings, and other criminal matters. Matthew met with nearly a dozen clients a day in Pendleton, including many individuals with special needs. He understands the value of respectful, responsive communication when counseling clients.  Matthew was lead attorney in over a dozen criminal trials, where he honed his skills as an effective public speaker.

Matthew began working as a contract attorney for Eugene Legal in November 2012, performing research for Divorce, Family Law, Corporate, Contract and Will/Estates cases.  He joined Eugene Legal as a full time associate attorney in March of 2013.