About Us

Who We Are

Established in 1975, Youth, Rights & Justice is Oregon’s leading nonprofit juvenile public defense provider. We bring a trauma-informed lens to all of our work; seeking to promote resilience, dignity and respect.

YRJ Vision
We envision a just and equitable society that creates opportunities for children, parents, and families to imagine and achieve their aspirations.

YRJ Mission
Youth, Rights & Justice advances the rights of children, parents, and families through advocacy in the courts, schools, legislature, and community.

Our Values
Our work is grounded in the belief that our clients are at the center of all that we do. Our values guide our interactions, decisions, goals, and strategy. They serve as the touchstone for open communication in the office, with clients, and in the community.

• Collaboration: We believe that working together internally and externally results in better outcomes. We seek opportunities to build effective coalitions with our partners. We value each individual’s contribution to ensure our high standards of professionalism. We listen, learn, teach each other, and push ourselves to improve.
• Equity: We actively and urgently take steps to counter the racism and bias that permeates our juvenile justice, child welfare, and education systems. We seek opportunities to ensure those most affected have a significant role in decision-making.
• Openness: We encourage our employees to speak up and are willing to listen to all ideas. We embrace diverse opinions, even if they challenge our beliefs and push us to grow.
• Compassion: We acknowledge the trauma inherent in our work, embrace empathy, and treat those around us with dignity, respect, and kindness.
• Integrity: We stand by our commitments and we are invested in building meaningful relationships. We communicate honestly and respectfully with our clients and each other. We are committed to investing in the success and well-being of our employees.
• Agility: We adapt, affect change, and innovate to bring equity, fairness, and client voices to the systems in which we work.