diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/README.md
index 1f223bc6b26de..27d010fcd48b9 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/README.md
@@ -63,6 +63,17 @@ Example:
 Remember that if you want to use a value from the log event as the metric value,
 you must mention it in your pattern somewhere.
 
+A very simple MetricFilter can be created by using the `logGroup.extractMetric()`
+helper function:
+
+```ts
+logGroup.extractMetric('$.jsonField', 'Namespace', 'MetricName');
+```
+
+Will extract the value of `jsonField` wherever it occurs in JSON-structed
+log records in the LogGroup, and emit them to CloudWatch Metrics under
+the name `Namespace/MetricName`.
+
 ### Patterns
 
 Patterns describe which log events match a subscription or metric filter. There
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/log-group.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/log-group.ts
index cd909091ea092..143989d731dab 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/log-group.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/log-group.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import cdk = require('@aws-cdk/cdk');
 import { LogStream } from './log-stream';
 import { cloudformation, LogGroupArn, LogGroupName } from './logs.generated';
 import { MetricFilter } from './metric-filter';
-import { IFilterPattern } from './pattern';
+import { FilterPattern, IFilterPattern } from './pattern';
 import { ILogSubscriptionDestination, SubscriptionFilter } from './subscription-filter';
 
 /**
@@ -83,6 +83,29 @@ export abstract class LogGroupRef extends cdk.Construct {
             logGroupArn: new LogGroupArn(new cdk.Output(this, 'LogGroupArn', { value: this.logGroupArn }).makeImportValue())
         };
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Extract a metric from structured log events in the LogGroup
+     *
+     * Creates a MetricFilter on this LogGroup that will extract the value
+     * of the indicated JSON field in all records where it occurs.
+     *
+     * The metric will be available in CloudWatch Metrics under the
+     * indicated namespace and name.
+     *
+     * @param jsonField JSON field to extract (example: '$.myfield')
+     * @param metricNamespace Namespace to emit the metric under
+     * @param metricName Name to emit the metric under
+     */
+    public extractMetric(jsonField: string, metricNamespace: string, metricName: string) {
+        new MetricFilter(this, `${metricNamespace}_${metricName}`, {
+            logGroup: this,
+            metricNamespace,
+            metricName,
+            filterPattern: FilterPattern.exists(jsonField),
+            metricValue: jsonField
+        });
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/metric-filter.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/metric-filter.ts
index c9828bcb3dd03..f213c82588d55 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/metric-filter.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/lib/metric-filter.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ export class MetricFilter extends cdk.Construct {
     constructor(parent: cdk.Construct, id: string, props: MetricFilterProps) {
         super(parent, id);
 
+        // It looks odd to map this object to a singleton list, but that's how
+        // we're supposed to do it according to the docs.
+        //
+        // > Currently, you can specify only one metric transformation for
+        // > each metric filter. If you want to specify multiple metric
+        // > transformations, you must specify multiple metric filters.
+        //
+        // https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/aws-resource-logs-metricfilter.html
         new cloudformation.MetricFilterResource(this, 'Resource', {
             logGroupName: props.logGroup.logGroupName,
             filterPattern: props.filterPattern.logPatternString,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/test/test.loggroup.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/test/test.loggroup.ts
index c3990056e9357..53551b7608506 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/test/test.loggroup.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-logs/test/test.loggroup.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,31 @@ export = {
         // THEN
         expect(stack2).to(haveResource('AWS::Logs::LogStream', {}));
 
+        test.done();
+    },
+
+    'extractMetric'(test: Test) {
+        // GIVEN
+        const stack = new Stack();
+        const lg = new LogGroup(stack, 'LogGroup');
+
+        // WHEN
+        lg.extractMetric('$.myField', 'MyService', 'Field');
+
+        // THEN
+        expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::Logs::MetricFilter', {
+            FilterPattern: "{ $.myField = \"*\" }",
+            LogGroupName: { Ref: "LogGroupF5B46931" },
+            MetricTransformations: [
+              {
+                MetricName: "Field",
+                MetricNamespace: "MyService",
+                MetricValue: "$.myField"
+              }
+            ]
+        }));
+
         test.done();
     }
+
 };