Youth, Rights & Justice

Youth, Rights & Justice advances the rights of children, parents, and families through advocacy in the courts, schools, legislature, and community. YRJ provides holistic legal services and policy advocacy for children, parents, and families in Multnomah County and statewide. We:

• Serve as public defenders in juvenile cases in both trial and appellate courts.
• Advocate for students to ensure they have equitable access to education.
• Provide leadership to reform the juvenile justice, dependency, and education systems statewide through programs, policy advocacy, consultation, training, and impact litigation.

YRJ was founded in 1975 as a program of Multnomah County Legal Aid Services and in 1985 we became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit law firm. As a public defense firm, YRJ is court-appointed to represent children in foster care, parents whose children have been removed, and youth in the juvenile justice system. Since our founding, YRJ has represented over 25,000 children and parents involved in the juvenile court system, helping children find their forever homes, ensuring students succeeded in school, providing youth with a fair trial and a second chance, and allowing families to safely reunite.