The Oregon Legislature has wrapped up their 2024 legislative session. Despite the quick turnaround of the short session, the staff at Youth, Rights & Justice have been hard at work advocating for policy changes that will benefit our clients. … Read More
Supervising Attorney Jennifer McGowan is celebrating her 20th anniversary with Youth, Rights & Justice this year. In this interview, Jennifer reflects on her work as a juvenile public defender, and the issues that are still faced by system-impacted children and … Read More
We sat down with Julie to discuss her experiences as a public defender with Youth, Rights & Justice over her nearly 20-year career here. Key takeaways include the relationships forged and rewarding work that keep her engaged and inspired at … Read More
The Multnomah Bar Association’s publication, Multnomah Lawyer, recently highlighted the work of YRJ Staff Attorney Michael Cebert and his brother Mark. The article discusses how Michael and his brother were exposed to politics and activism early and encouraged by … Read More
In a victory for Oregon public school students, Governor Kotek signed Senate Bill 819, which took effect July 13, 2023. The law prevents school districts from placing students with disabilities on abbreviated school days arbitrarily. School districts had been placing … Read More
YRJ is expanding SchoolWorks to address a critical need in our community for educational advocacy in early childhood. The SchoolWorks Parent Advocacy for Student Success (PASS) program will serve BIPOC parents and guardians, providing them with legal representation in school … Read More
MULTNOMAH COUNTY – On June 1, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 519, which builds upon previous juvenile expunction reform efforts. On June 6 Governor Tina Kotek signed the bill, which Youth, Rights, and Justice championed with bipartisan support of … Read More
On July 18, 2023 YRJ and the Oregon Law Center (OLC) scored a big win for Oregon’s foster children when U.S. District Judge Michael McShane found the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) in “substantial noncompliance” with a 2018 agreement … Read More
We sat down with YRJ Staff Attorney Jennifer Stoller to discuss her work and what being at YRJ over the last nine years means to her. What made you want to be a lawyer? When I was in college, my … Read More
Case managers have become an integral part of YRJ’s holistic approach to juvenile and family defense. The Parent Child Representation Program, a pilot program started in Multnomah County in 2020, provided funding to hire case managers. This multidisciplinary approach has … Read More
Legal Assistant DeWayne Charley is celebrating his 20th anniversary with Youth, Rights & Justice in November. In this interview, DeWayne reflects on his work as an advocate for children in foster care, and the issues that are still faced … Read More
This year Youth, Rights & Justice received a three-year federal grant for over $700,000 to create the Youth Educational Supports (YES) program. This innovative program provides educational advocacy and support for youth who are in Oregon Youth Authority custody and … Read More
The Youth, Rights & Justice Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Heather Busby as Executive Director effective May 11, 2022. Founded in 1975, Youth, Rights & Justice is an innovative nonprofit law firm based in Portland, Oregon. Busby is … Read More
Supervising Attorney Lisa Kay Williams is celebrating her 25th anniversary with Youth, Rights & Justice this year. In this interview, Lisa reflects on her work as an advocate for children in foster care, and the issues that are still faced … Read More
Youth, Rights & Justice Announces Partnership with Lewis & Clark Law School’s Criminal Justice Reform Clinic to Expand Expunction Clinic Services Statewide. Portland, OR (1/21/2022) – Youth, Rights & Justice (YRJ) is thrilled to announce the expansion of our … Read More
In honor of today’s Big Give Day with the Willamette Week Give!Guide, during which one lucky donor who gives $10 or more will win a $500 gift card to Powell’s books, YRJ has compiled a list of book recommendations from … Read More
Youth, Rights & Justice is thrilled to announce the unveiling of our new five year strategic plan. Over the past year, a team of board members and staff, with feedback from our community partners, former clients, and other stakeholders, have … Read More
The Oregon Department of Education has announced that children receiving special education services may be entitled to recovery services from their school district as a result of disruptions in learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and guardians can … Read More
Youth, Rights & Justice is proud to announce the creation of our Expunction Clinic. This online clinic will focus on increasing access to expungement for individuals with juvenile records. This is a free service currently for individuals with records … Read More
Press Release: Youth, Rights & Justice Thanks Governor Brown For Signing Landmark Bill Eliminating Juvenile Fees and Fines in Oregon Salem, OR (07/23/21) – Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 817 (SB 817) into law on July 19th, 2021, … Read More
Press Release: Oregon Legislature Passes Juvenile Expungement Reform (SB 575), Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk SALEM, OR (6/28/21) — On June 26th, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 575, the juvenile expungement reform bill. The bill, supported by a … Read More
Press Release: Youth, Rights & Justice Urges Governor Brown to Quickly Sign Landmark Bill Eliminating Juvenile Fees and Fines in Oregon Salem, OR (6/28/21) – Last week, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 817 (SB 817), a major bipartisan reform … Read More
The constitutionally defined day that the legislative session must end is called “sine die” (pronounced like sigh-knee die). For the 2021 session, constitutional sine die is June 27. Legislative leadership set a goal for the session to end by June … Read More
While changing terminology in the juvenile code may seem inconsequential, words matter. That’s why Youth, Rights & Justice proposed and supports SB 436 and the changes in language it makes to the juvenile code. Right now, youth who commit crimes … Read More
Building off years of reform efforts and in partnership with a broad cross-section of local stakeholders, Multnomah County is hosting an examination and transformation of juvenile probation. Supervising Attorney Lisa Kay Williams serves on the project steering committee, along … Read More
In late 2016, the staff at Youth, Rights & Justice noticed that a number of our clients in foster care were being housed in hotel rooms for long periods of time — weeks or even months — rather than … Read More
This month, Staff Attorney Jordan Bates is celebrating 10 years at Youth, Rights & Justice. Jordan, a Portland native, shared her thoughts on how her community and the world of public defense has changed since she first started at … Read More
The 2021 Oregon Legislative Session begins this week and, although this session looks different from years past due to the restrictions in place from COVID-19, there are many important bills that could shape the future of juvenile justice in Oregon. … Read More
For many youth, the gateway to incarceration begins with a referral from the classroom to the courtroom. Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are at serious risk of being pushed out of school and pulled into a mass … Read More
The following is an excerpt from a longer memorandum YRJ has written to address the issue of a child’s right to counsel in dependency cases. “High quality legal representation is essential to a well-functioning dependency system.” Oregon Task Force … Read More
By Natalie Hollabaugh | YRJ Law Clerk 2020, Lewis & Clark Law J.D. Candidate 2021 and Maggie Carlson | YRJ Staff Attorney The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) is a federal law that was enacted in 19971 out … Read More
Immigrant children have recently been in the news again as the United States Supreme Court issued a decision addressing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program initiated by President Obama. The Department of Human Services v. Regents of the … Read More
The First Special Session of 2020 was remarkable. In light of a global pandemic, the members of the legislature held hearings remotely and practiced social distancing when voting. Spurred to action by nightly protests condemning racialized policing practices, the legislature … Read More
Dear Friends, June is National Reunification Month. This month we celebrate families and the importance of family reunification for children and youth involved in the child welfare system. Children belong with their families. We join with organizations across … Read More
Now, more than ever, we need to listen. To black mothers, living with constant and well-founded fear that child protective services will remove their children. To black parents, who must explain to their children the brutality and inhumanity of the … Read More
By Amy Miller | YRJ Executive Director The government deprives poor women of their privacy rights. In her well-researched book, The Poverty of Privacy Rights, Khiara M. Bridges explains how the moral constructions of indigent motherhood have empowered society—and, in … Read More
I. The Youth Legal Clinic The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) recognized the need for incarcerated youth to have more legal information about their constitutional rights and increased access to the courts. Subsequently, OYA reached out to the Criminal Justice … Read More
This week, Liz Sher celebrates 25 years as a YRJ Staff Attorney. We asked Liz to share about her career, her insights into juvenile court, and how she thinks things have changed for her clients. You’ve been working in … Read More
By Ginger Fitch | YRJ Staff Attorney The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law passed in 1978 in response to the alarmingly high number of Indian children being removed from their homes by both public and … Read More
While no one is spared from the impacts of the current health care crisis, the effects the coronavirus hit vulnerable children and families hard. YRJ represents over 800 clients in Oregon’s juvenile justice and child welfare systems. As Oregonians are … Read More
On March 13, 2020, the Oregon Court of Appeals emphasized that trial courts should consider whether family supports can mitigate the risk of harm to children, even when parents have deficits that would otherwise necessitate child welfare system involvement. … Read More
Dept. of Human Services v. K. S. W., 299 Or App 668 (Oct. 9, 2019). In this Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) case, the Court of Appeals found that a new active efforts finding was not required when a guardianship was established… Read More
In April 2018, the Trump Administration announced a new “zero-tolerance” policy intended to ramp up criminal prosecution of people caught entering the U.S. illegally. Soon after the announcement of the zero-tolerance policy, reports surfaced that unauthorized immigrant parents traveling with their children were being criminally prosecuted and separated from their children… Read More
“…Fines and fees in the juvenile justice system harm youth and their families. They also undermine public safety and contribute to racial disparities in the justice system.” In A Debtor’s Prison, the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia analyzed the impact of costs, fines, fees, and restitution on youth… Read More
Oregon is Working to Overcome the Juvenile Justice System’s Historical Failing of LGBTQ Youth. As of April 2017, only five states (California, Louisiana, New York, Rhode Island and Texas) and the District of Columbia explicitly included sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes… Read More
The Family First Preservation Services Act seeks to improve the well-being of children in foster care by establishing minimum standards for congregate care settings, by requiring independent assessments by qualified individuals that both outline a foster child’s needs and recommend the appropriate level of care to meet those needs… Read More