Who We Are
Established in 1975, Youth, Rights & Justice is Oregon’s leading nonprofit law firm dedicated exclusively to children and families. We bring a trauma-informed lens to all of our work; seeking to promote resilience, dignity and respect.
We provide excellent client-centered representation for parents, children, and youth.
Our legal teams zealously represent our clients, fighting to make sure their voices are heard.
We narrow the achievement gap for children in foster care.
Our innovative SchoolWorks program ensures that foster children aren’t left behind when it comes to education. We provide school advocacy to ensure that our clients can enroll, attend, graduate, and succeed in school.
We reform and transform the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
By leveraging the authority of the courts and the power of the legislature, we enact system-wide reforms that benefit young people and families across the state.
25,000+ children, youth, and parents represented since 1975
3,200+ cases helping children and young people through SchoolWorks since 2002
500,000+ Oregon children and families helped by the laws, policies, and system reforms we’ve championed
Our Staff
Executive Director:
Heather Busby
Supervising Attorneys:
Lisa Kay Williams
Jennifer McGowan
Christa Obold Eshleman
Operations Director:
Gabrielle Goldsby
Director of Development:
Laurel Keppy
Director of Administration:
Ally Hood
Staff Attorneys:
Maggie Carlson
Michael Cebert
Stephanie Engelsman
Ginger Fitch
Erica Hayne Friedman
Laura Greenwood
Natalie Johnstone
Seth Lichenstein-Hill
Jawan Mullen
Matt Murphy
Kris Paustenbach
Chris Shank
Elizabeth J. Sher
Brian Scherman
Jennifer Stoller
Julie Sutton
Kathryn Underhill
Case Managers:
Ivan Denizac
Abby Gluckman
Family Engagement Specialist:
Olivia Vo
Social Worker (YES Program):
Josue Gomez
Paralegals:
April Brix
Sue Pasi
Legal Assistant Supervisor:
Fernanda Manzo
SIJS Lead Legal Assistant:
Vicky Morales
Legal Assistants:
DeWayne Charley
Leticea Cruz
Michelle Zavala
Investigator:
Sean Quinn
Data Integrity Manager:
Chad Lucero
Policy Coordinator:
Kendall White
Records Clerk:
Krystal Maldonado
Development and Communications Coordinator:
Katy Maloney
Administrative Coordinator:
Katie Vitale Pickett
SchoolWorks Program Assistant:
Claire Clapp
Our Board
President: Nakia Bradley-Lawson, Gevurtz Menashe
Secretary: Dana Walton-Macaulay, Oregon Judicial Department
Treasurer: Jilian Saurage Felton, Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Rohini Ghosh, PacifiCorp
Sue Ann Higgens, Portland Public Schools (retired)
Lissa Kaufman, Lissa Kaufman Law
Bryan Leinwand, Performance Software Corporation
Matthew Muenzen, Gevurtz Menashe
Martin Osborne, Daimler Trucks (retired)
Bill Patton, The Standard
Ann Phillips, Zappos.com (retired)
John Raaf, Raaf Investments
David Rabbino, Jordan Ramis PC
Jacqueline Roebuck Sakho, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Janet Steverson, Lewis & Clark
Jessica Ward, Living Room Realty
Chris Weathers, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Elizabeth Welch, Elizabeth E. Welch Attorney at Law
Hon. Merri Souther Wyatt, Multnomah County Circuit Court (retired)