Community Law launched as a civil legal division of Metropolitan Public Defenders in 2016, with a focus on barrier reduction work for people involved in, or at risk of involvement in, the criminal justice system. We help undo the damage done by an imbalanced criminal justice system by reducing social stigma, increasing economic and housing opportunities, and stabilizing families. Our model is to partner with government agencies and community based organizations to work together to help participants navigate the legal system and remove barriers.
By providing a holistic, collaborative, person-centered model that is equally prepared to address criminal and civil legal issues, we not only increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for clients, but work toward fundamentally changing the systems in which we operate. Our collaborative approach involves partnering with teams and organizations who are already advocating for the person. Such teams may be in the social service, community health or public defense worlds, but the thing they all have in common is that they want the best for the person and have often developed the person’s goals and desired outcomes. What they do not have is the legal skill set to be able to remove barriers, navigate legal obstacles or even the playing field. We coordinate and work together with the existing team to do whatever we can as lawyers to help meet the person’s goals and desired outcomes. Sometimes that means representation on a legal case, but often it will mean negotiating a non-legal matter or navigating an increasingly complex bureaucracy to obtain basic rights and benefits. This is what we mean by person-centered: our scope of work is defined by the client’s goals rather than a legal case. We are driven by the overarching goal of making a positive, measurable difference in people’s lives.
Depending on the Partnership, our Legal Services may include:
- Criminal Record Expungements
- Eviction Record Expungements
- Felony Reduction
- Fine/Fee Reduction
- Legal Services Day
- Project Reset (Clack and Columbia)
- Municipal/Justice/Circuit Court Fine and Fee Waivers
- Driver’s License Restoration
- Civil/Eviction Debt Negotiation
- Restitution Negotiation
- Name/Gender Marker Changes
- Sex Offender Registration Relief
- Sex Offender Risk Level Appeals
- Padilla Work
- Restraining Orders/Protection Orders
- Guardianship
- Custody Navigation
- Warrant Lifts
- Correcting Judgments
- Vacating Prostitution Convictions
- Vacating Violation Convictions (to open expungement)
- Landlord Tenant Pre-Eviction Dispute Negotiations
- Eviction Defense
- Legal Status Issues
- Navigation of Court Orders/Obligations
- Policy Work
- Immigrant Defense Oregon (removal defense)
Community Law has a number of projects and partnerships. Some of them include:
- Multnomah County’s Anti-poverty Programs
- Sex Trafficking Network
- Healthy Birth Initiative
- Home Forward
- City of Portland’s Portland Housing Bureau
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Supportive Services for Veteran Families
- Pathway Home – Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon
- New Avenues For Youth
- Clean Slate Initiative
- Department of Community Justice
- Multnomah County’s Eviction Prevention Program
- Legal Services Day
- Joint Office of Homeless Services
- Meyers/Collins Foundation
