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Staff Attorney | Women’s Justice Project’s Re*Membering Legal Services Program

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Oregon Justice Resource Center 

Oregon Justice Resource Center (OJRC) is a public interest law firm and nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon. We provide legal services to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, with a focus on populations that have often been underserved in the past. We work to reform the criminal system in Oregon through our legal work, policy and advocacy initiatives, public education, communications, and strategic partnerships. OJRC’s programs include the Civil Rights Project, Immigrant Rights Project, Oregon Innocence Project, Women’s Justice Project, and Youth Justice Project.

Women’s Justice Project 

The Women’s Justice Project (WJP) is the first and only program in Oregon to exclusively address issues related to women intersecting with the criminal system. For over ten years, our staff has been providing direct legal services and other support to people incarcerated in Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF), Oregon’s only women’s prison. Through our work with people incarcerated at CCCF, we understand the experiences of women in Oregon’s criminal legal system, from arrest to reentry. We recognize that Oregon’s criminal legal system does not adequately consider or address the root causes of criminalized behavior, causes unnecessary harm to women and their families, is focused on punishment and family regulation, and promotes intergenerational harm. WJP advocates for more just and humane treatment of women in the criminal legal system through direct representation, public education campaigns, legislation, and engaging with stakeholders to encourage reforms in policy and practice. 

OJRC staff dedicated solely to the WJP currently includes: A Project Director/Attorney, a staff attorney, a legal assistant, and a policy associate.

Re*Membering: Legal services for incarcerated peoplE

WJP’s Re*Membering program provides legal services to people incarcerated at CCCF, focused on reducing barriers to successful reentry back into the community. We help clients address various non-criminal legal issues that are burdens while incarcerated and, if unaddressed, will likely become greater hardships in their lives after prison. The range of legal issues are diverse and can be complex, e.g., family-related, debt/financial concerns, employment-related, ID/driver’s license, and property-related. On average, each client presents four legal matters for assistance. OJRC is receiving funding from the state legislature for 2025-2027 for the Re*Membering legal services program.

The position 

We are seeking a second staff attorney for Re*Membering. The staff attorney will provide limited representation of people incarcerated in CCCF to reduce barriers to their successful return to their communities. This will include:  

  • Conducting comprehensive intakes that review major areas of the incarcerated persons’ lives, e.g., family and relationship history, health, and employment and housing history, to screen for legal matters,  

  • Providing legal assistance, often including problem solving that does not involve the courts, for a wide variety of matters, e.g. family-, debt-, employment-, and housing-related,  

  • Participating in weekly WJP staff meetings to discuss client matters, and  

  • Collaborating with community-based organizations to provide more comprehensive support for clients.

Anticipated caseload: 15-25 clients at any given time. 

The staff attorney will also be responsible for tracking client information in the Re*Membering database and participating in discussions with OJRC staff about systemic issues and opportunities for change in practice and policy.  

Location: The staff attorney will have office space in the OJRC’s Portland office (511 SW 10th Avenue) but must also spend hours per week in CCCF, located in Wilsonville, meeting with clients. The staff attorney must have their own transportation to get to and from work and CCCF.

Hours: The staff attorney is expected to work full-time, Monday through Friday, during the day, with occasional work requirements in the evenings and on weekends.

The candidate 

Requirements:  

  • Compassion for incarcerated people, with an understanding of and respect for the varied lives people lead and choices people make, and a commitment to improving access and opportunities for people to thrive. 

  • Strong active listening skills and an ability to build rapport with clients while maintaining professional boundaries. 

  • Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and collaboratively with co-workers. 

  • High degree of initiative and ability to independently manage a caseload. 

  • Ability to problem solve creatively with clients. 

  • Ability to research and analyze a wide range of legal matters and unafraid to delve into new issue areas. 

  • Excellent writing, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. 

  • Member of the Oregon State Bar. 

The ideal candidate: 

  • Has worked as a social worker or in a similar type of position.  

  • Is knowledgeable about common challenges that people with limited resources face daily. 

  • Is knowledgeable about the challenges of transitioning from prison back to the community. 

  • Has experience in and is skilled at assisting survivors of trauma. 

  • Has experience advocating in trial-level court or in administrative hearings. 

  • Has strong listening skills that enable them to identify potential reentry issues to address and to assess a client’s level of motivation to address those issues. 

  • Is excited about participating in this innovative program and able to meaningfully participate in its successful development. 

  • Is a critical thinker and inquisitive about current systems, both civil and criminal, and able to recognize ways in which current systems disadvantage less-privileged individuals and communities.

Salary depends on experience. Benefits include health insurance and dental insurance, and generous paid time off.

How to apply 

Submit a cover letter, your resume and three references, as a single PDF file, by email to Julia Yoshimoto, WJP Director, at Jyoshimoto@ojrc.info with the subject line “WJP Staff Attorney Application”.

We will begin reviewing applications on September 29, 2025. Position open until filled.