Megan T. Hopkins, Attorney at Law

Megan is a born-and-raised Southern Californian who has more than 13 years experience as a criminal defense attorney. After earning two undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Hispanic Languages for the University of California, Berkeley, she returned to attend law school at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. She has been a member of the California Bar since 2013, and added her admission to the Oregon Bar in 2026.

Megan is fluent in Spanish, and has represented clients in a wide variety of cases including employment litigation and administrative hearings, unlawful detainer defense, immigration (combatting ICE detention, affirmative and defensive asylum cases, visa petitions and applications for adjustment of status).

After a brief time with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and then a year as an Equal Justice Works legal fellow at Public Law Center in Santa Ana, CA, she served as an Assistant Federal Defender for the Eastern District of California from 2014-2026. In that role, Megan handled federal misdemeanor and felony cases, raised constitutional claims for violations of the First Amendment right to free speech and assembly, Second Amendment rights, Fourth Amendment right against unlawful search and seizure, Fifth Amendment right to due process, and Sixth Amendment right to a speedy and fair trial. She is a trial litigator, mitigation specialist and appellate attorney. Whatever the needs of her clients may be, she meets them with her own extensive experience and, when in unfamiliar territory, with her broad network of colleagues in every field of law.

In 2026, Megan left her role as a felony trial attorney and supervisor of the misdemeanor unit at the Federal Defender’s Office, and proudly took over ownership of Paladin Legal Defenders from its founder and dedicated criminal defense advocate, Charles Stoddard. As Charles passes the torch of decades of valiant criminal defense work, Megan is working diligently to ensure that the firm is able to serve even more clients in a wider range of matters, expanding Paladin’s representation to include federal criminal defense and immigration representation.

Megan’s long-term vision for Paladin includes increased community engagement, educating the public about their civil rights and how to assert them respectfully but effectively with law enforcement, supporting re-entry and rehabilitation programs and creating more re-entry opportunities in an area of great need.

Paladin Legal Defenders is thrilled to have her leading the charge for a fair process and just outcome for all of our clients, and supporting our community in new and innovative ways.