Monthly Archives: September 2026

Understanding Legal Aid Programs in Oregon

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Two people shaking hands against a pink and orange background with text reading “Understanding Legal Aid in Oregon.”

Legal problems can be difficult to handle, especially when hiring a lawyer is too expensive. Oregon has several legal aid programs that provide free or low-cost help to people who qualify.

These organizations can help with problems involving housing, employment, public benefits, family law, consumer issues, criminal records, and other legal matters. The right program often depends on your income, where you live, and the kind of help you need.

 

What is Legal Aid?

Legal aid helps people who cannot afford a private attorney get help with civil legal problems. They provide free or reduced-cost legal services to people who meet certain requirements. These programs often focus on civil legal problems, including housing, public benefits, employment, family safety, debt, and other issues. Unlike criminal cases, where a person may have the right to a court-appointed attorney, people generally do not have the same right to a lawyer in civil cases. Legal aid organizations help fill that gap.

Who Can Qualify for Legal Aid?

Income is one of the main factors used by many Oregon legal aid programs to decide if someone qualifies. Legal Aid Services of Oregon and Oregon Law Center generally focus on people with household incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, although some programs can help people with higher incomes depending on funding and circumstances.

Other programs use different requirements or focus on certain groups, legal problems, or parts of the state. Because the rules vary, it can still be worth contacting a program even if you are not sure you qualify.

For 2026, 125% of the federal poverty guidelines is about $19,950 per year for one person or $41,250 for a family of four.

 

Oregon Legal Aid Programs

Statewide Legal Aid Programs

Several Oregon organizations provide legal help statewide or through offices and programs that serve large parts of the state.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) provides free civil legal help to low-income people throughout many parts of Oregon. Its offices help with issues such as housing, employment, public benefits, domestic violence, consumer problems, and other civil legal matters. Most services are intended for people around or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, although requirements vary by program. The best place to start is with the LASO office serving your county.

Oregon Law Center (OLC) provides free civil legal services throughout many parts of Oregon. OLC helps with housing, employment, public benefits, family safety, civil rights, consumer issues, and other legal problems. Like LASO, it primarily serves people with lower incomes, often around or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, but eligibility depends on the program and type of case. Your local OLC office can tell you what services are available where you live.

CLEAR Clinic provides free legal services to people throughout Oregon. Its services include criminal-record relief, housing and eviction issues, immigration services, and name and gender-marker changes. Eligibility depends on the type of service, and some programs do not have a published income requirement. People can apply through CLEAR or attend certain in-person clinics.

De Muniz Legal Clinic provides legal help statewide for people who have been affected by arrests or convictions. Its services can include criminal-record issues, pardons, housing, debt, family matters, and other legal barriers. Eligibility depends on the type of help needed, and people should contact the clinic directly to learn whether their situation qualifies.

Regional Legal Aid Programs

These legal aid organizations focus on a specific county or region:

Center for NonProfit Legal Services (CNPLS) primarily serves people in Jackson County. It provides civil legal help involving housing, family law, public benefits, employment, immigration, consumer issues, and other matters. General services are primarily available to Jackson County residents around or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, with some additional services available to people age 60 and older.

Metropolitan Public Defender (MPD) provides court-appointed criminal defense in Multnomah and Washington counties, but its Community Law Division also provides certain civil legal services connected to involvement with the justice system. Programs may have their own financial and geographic requirements, so people looking for civil legal help should ask specifically about the Community Law Division.

Clean Slate Clackamas provides free legal assistance through clinics based in Clackamas County. Its services can include help with criminal and eviction records, court fee waivers, and related legal issues. Eligibility and geographic availability can depend on the specific clinic being offered.

Columbia River Gorge Criminal Records Expungement Clinic, in collaboration with CLEAR Clinic, provides free legal help primarily for people in the Columbia River Gorge and surrounding areas. The clinic can help people understand Oregon criminal records and possible legal options. They hold in-person clinics in Hood River and The Dalles.

Veteran and Youth Legal Help

Some legal programs are designed specifically for veterans or young people.

Veterans legal programs are available through organizations including Oregon Law Center and Metropolitan Public Defender. Depending on the program, eligible veterans may be able to get help with housing, public benefits, debt, criminal-record issues, and other legal barriers. Requirements vary, so veterans should contact the individual program to confirm eligibility.

Youth, Rights & Justice (YRJ) provides legal help focused on children, young people, and families. Its statewide Expunction Clinic can help people with juvenile records understand their options and get help with the legal process.

 

What If You Do Not Qualify for Traditional Legal Aid?

People who earn too much for traditional legal aid may still have lower-cost options.

Oregon Free Legal Answers allows qualifying Oregonians to ask civil legal questions online and receive answers from volunteer attorneys. The program can serve people with household incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty guidelines, so it may be an option for people who do not qualify for traditional legal aid.

Oregon State Bar’s Modest Means Program helps connect people who earn too much for legal aid but cannot afford standard attorney rates with lawyers who charge reduced fees for certain types of cases. Eligibility depends on income, assets, the type of legal problem, location, and attorney availability.

 

Not Sure Where to Start?

Oregon Law Help is a statewide resource that can help you find free or low-cost legal services based on where you live and what kind of legal problem you have. It includes information about statewide programs, regional organizations, specialized clinics, and other legal resources.

If you are unsure which organization serves your area or whether you meet a program’s requirements, Oregon Law Help can be a simple place to start.

 

Looking for Help With Your Oregon Criminal Record?

If your main concern is a criminal record, you can also use Rasa’s online tool to check your Oregon record and see whether any records may qualify to be cleared.

The eligibility check is free and can help you understand what options may be available. If your record qualifies and you want legal help, you can also choose to hire Rasa to handle the record-clearance process for you.

Legal aid programs may be an option depending on your income, location, and circumstances. The important thing is finding the type of help that fits your situation.

Rasa Legal Expands Record Clearance Services to Oregon

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PORTLAND, Oregon, Sept. 9, 2026 — It is estimated that more than 1.3 million people in Oregon are struggling with a criminal record which may hold them back from good housing, jobs, and other opportunities. Rasa Legal, a legal technology company that helps people clear eligible criminal records, today announced its expansion into Oregon. The move brings Rasa’s technology and licensed attorneys to Oregon residents working to move past old records and toward new opportunities.

Rasa pairs a free online eligibility tool with support from trained specialists and licensed attorneys. People can check their record in about three minutes, then work with Rasa’s team to understand what may be possible under Oregon law, including criminal record set-asides, offense reclassifications, and other forms of record relief. If someone is eligible to clear their record, Rasa provides a low-cost lawyer starting at just $500.

Rasa Legal’s expansion into Oregon brings its services to a fourth state, joining Utah, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring our record clearance platform and services to the state of Oregon,” said Noella Sudbury, Rasa’s founder and CEO. “As a former public defender, I saw how long a criminal record could hold someone back and how transformative it was to clear the record and create a pathway to opportunity.”

Even old and minor criminal records can prevent access to jobs, promotions, housing, education, and economic mobility. 9 out of 10 employers and landlords run background checks, and record clearance can help remove some of the barriers those checks create.

While criminal records hold people back long after their involvement in the justice system, clearing a criminal record creates real opportunities. People without records are 63% more likely to get a job interview and make over 20% more within just one year of record clearance.

Since its launch in late 2022, over 35,000 people have used Rasa’s platform to check their eligibility and the organization has fully cleared more than 7,000 records.

About Rasa Legal

Rasa Legal is a mission-driven legal technology organization dedicated to making the process of clearing a criminal record simple and affordable for everyone. Through innovative tools and a streamlined legal process, Rasa’s lawyers provide criminal record set aside, sealing and expungement services. For more information, or to do a free eligibility check, visit rasa-legal.com.

Media Contact:
Noella Sudbury
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 801.913.9675

#1in3 Meet Adam

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Watercolor portrait of a man with short dark hair, a beard, and a light green shirt against a soft pink background.

"I want to change, I don't want to come back to prison, I want a life."

Adam said these words having no idea where they would take him.

He did not know he would become a father raising his children, building a career in sales, or helping to create jobs for people coming home from prison.

At the time, he only knew one thing: He wanted something different.

Looking for a place to belong

Adam was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Growing up, stability was hard to find.

Both of his parents struggled with substance use. His father was mostly absent. His mother moved in and out of recovery. While Adam and his siblings moved from apartment to apartment and sometimes stayed with relatives when their mother went to treatment.

For a few years, life seemed to settle down after the family moved to Arizona. Then, when Adam was in seventh grade, everything changed again.

His mother disappeared from the home. His grandmother arrived and told the children they were leaving Arizona and would be split up. Adam returned to Minnesota and spent time in family foster care.

He remembers feeling confused, hurt, and out of place.

When he came back to Arizona as a teenager, those feelings followed him.

Adam dropped out of school. He drank, used drugs, stole cars, and broke into homes. At the center of much of it was something he had wanted for years, belonging.

After one night of stealing and selling what they had taken, Adam remembers people welcoming him.

"That was the first time I ever felt wanted," he said. "That was the first time I ever felt like I belonged to something."

That feeling kept pulling him back.

His contact with the justice system grew from arrests and short stays in county jail to years spent cycling through incarceration. At 23, Adam went to prison for the first time.

When he eventually came home, he thought serving his sentence would be enough.

It wasn't.

He had no real plan for what came next. Within weeks, he was drinking again. The same cycle continued for years.

A different choice

During another period of incarceration, Adam received news that changed him.

His mother had died by suicide.

Adam was in jail when his brother told him over the phone.

His daughter was born while he was in county jail. His children were growing up while he was incarcerated. Their mother was struggling with substance use, and Adam could see the instability surrounding his children.

Still, even that pain did not create an immediate change.

While back in prison, Adam continued using drugs. Then one day, a man named Josh sat on his bed and suggested something Adam thought sounded almost impossible.

They should get sober.

Adam had spent most of his life using substances. At first, the idea seemed unrealistic.

But little by little, he started attending AA meetings.

Then another opportunity appeared.

Taking a chance

Adam approached Sergeant Collins about joining a wildland firefighting crew inside the Arizona prison system. Collins asked Adam if he was high.

Adam said yes.

Collins told him to finish his class, get sober, and come back.

For Adam, that challenge became a goal.

"It was like life changing," he said. "That was the first time in my life, in a long time, that I felt like I had a goal to achieve."

He got sober seven days before joining the crew.

The work was exhausting. The days were hot. The expectations were high. Adam was surrounded by people who carried themselves differently than the people he had spent much of his life around.

He decided to learn from them.

Every day, Adam reminded himself why he was showing up.

"I owe this to the community, I owe this to myself, I owe this to my children."

Slowly, things changed.

He started waking up early, took pride in his appearance, and changed the way he spoke and the people he spent time around. Eventually, he became a squad boss.

He also kept attending programs, even when he did not want to.

"I knew if I kept going and kept returning that something inside me would change," he said.

Starting again

Adam was released from prison on February 24, 2021, his son's birthday.

He wanted nothing more than to see his children.

That night he spent hours waiting at a gas station with birthday presents, but never got to see his son. It was then he found out that for the first few months after his release, Adam would not be allowed to see his children.

He had about $700, bought clothes at Goodwill, and wore the same shoes he had been released from prison in. Friends helped him find a safe place to live.

But even simple tasks felt overwhelming.

A few more days after his release, Adam sat at a kitchen table trying to complete paperwork for health coverage. The questions confused him. He became frustrated and embarrassed.

He was almost 40 years old, and he did not know how to do many of the things other adults seemed to take for granted.

Renting a home. Buying a car. Getting insurance. Building credit.

"I was sitting here in the kitchen crying because I can't fill out my paperwork," he remembered. "A middle aged man lost."

Instead of walking away, Adam asked for help.

That became part of his new life, too.

Watercolor portrait of a man with short dark hair, a beard, and a light green shirt against a soft pink background.

Building something new

Soon after his release, a friend encouraged Adam to try door to door sales.

He almost said no.

Adam did not have a car of his own. A friend loaned him a PT Cruiser with no air conditioning and paid the insurance. Adam dug ditches to earn gas money.

Then he knocked on doors.

Again and again.

The work began to pay off. Adam earned enough to hire an attorney and work toward rebuilding his relationship with his children.

Within months, his children were living with him.

Fatherhood brought a whole new set of challenges. Adam had never enrolled a child in school. He did not know how children's clothing sizes worked. He needed help learning the everyday parts of being a parent. So, he kept learning.

Today, Adam has full custody of his children. He talks proudly about their grades, their sports, their routines, and the stability they have built together.

For Adam, success is not about erasing what happened before.

It is about what he does today.

"The consistency that I show in their life today, the way I show up, is probably the biggest impact that I can have on them," he said.

Sending the opportunity back

Adam's career also grew.

As he found success in sales, he began reaching back to people he knew from prison. He recruited people who were coming home and looking for a chance to build something different.

His teams grew. So did his vision.

Adam later helped build a team of more than 100 people at ProWest and started Redemption Blueprint, a YouTube channel that shares stories of life after incarceration.

Then, he helped take the idea even further.

Working with Hustle 2.0 and others, Adam helped develop a roofing sales curriculum that could be offered to people while they were still incarcerated. The idea was simple: give people practical skills before they come home and help them see that another future is possible.

For Adam, that work matters more than the money or recognition that has come with his career.

"What I care about is helping people," he said. "I care about giving people the same opportunity that was given to me."

He also understands how much a criminal record can shape the way someone sees their own future. Adam remembers believing that his record meant doors would always be closed. He remembers thinking his choices had already decided the rest of his life.

Today, he sees it differently.

He believes people should be held responsible for the harm they cause. He also believes people who do the work to change deserve the chance to move forward.

That is what a second chance means to him.

Build through community

Adam is also quick to say he did not build his new life alone.

"It took an army," he said.

Friends helped him. People in recovery helped him. Correctional staff challenged him. Coworkers believed in him. Others gave him transportation, housing, advice, work, and opportunities.

Now Adam wants to be one of those people for someone else.

His message to people who feel trapped by their past is the same one he had to learn himself.

Change does not happen all at once. You show up, you ask for help, and you do the hard thing again tomorrow. Little by little, a different life begins to take shape.

Adam cannot rewrite what happened before, but he can decide what happens next.

"I can only change the future."

What are you waiting for?

It’s time to leave the past behind. Use our tool to quickly check if you have records that are eligible for expungement today!

Find out if you’re eligible in under 3 minutes.

 

Check Eligibility Now

Rasa Legal Expands Record Clearance Services to Oregon

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Portland, Oregon skyline and Steel Bridge with a purple and pink overlay and text reading “Rasa Legal Expands Record Clearance Services to Oregon.”

Rasa Legal is expanding to Oregon, bringing its technology-powered record clearance services to people across the state.

For Rasa, coming to Oregon is about more than adding another state to a map. It is about joining a community that has already spent years helping people move forward after involvement with the justice system.

Across Oregon, legal aid groups, community organizations, advocates, reentry programs, attorneys, and government partners are already helping people overcome barriers created by criminal records. Rasa is excited to work alongside that community as another resource for people looking for a path forward.

The goal? Give people another place to turn, another tool to understand their options, and another possible path toward the opportunities they are working for.”

Making a complicated process easier to understand

A criminal record can continue to affect a person’s life long after a sentence is complete. It may create barriers when someone applies for a job, looks for housing, pursues education, or works toward other goals.

Oregon offers ways for some people to address eligible records, but figuring out what is possible can be complicated.

Rasa was built to make that first step easier.

Rasa combines technology with support from trained specialists and licensed attorneys to help people understand their record clearance options and move through the process when they qualify.

In Oregon, Rasa will help people explore options that include criminal record set-asides and other forms of record relief available under Oregon law.

One more door people can open

Rasa’s expansion is based on the belief that people benefit when they have more trusted places to ask for help.

Someone looking to clear a record may first connect with a community organization. Another person may work with a local attorney or legal aid provider. Someone else may look for an online option that lets them start from home.

Those choices can work together.

Rasa is now one more part of that network.

Rasa first launched in Utah and later expanded into Arizona and Pennsylvania. In each state, the company has worked to combine technology with human support while building relationships with organizations already serving their communities.

Building on Oregon’s second-chance work

Oregon already has a strong community of people working to improve reentry, record clearance, employment, housing, and long-term stability for people impacted by the justice system.

Rasa wants to learn from that work and contribute to it.

That may mean connecting people with organizations that are better suited to meet a specific need. It may mean partnering with workforce programs, reentry organizations, employers, legal service providers, or other community groups. It may simply mean giving someone an easier way to understand their record and what they can do next.

Rasa does not see those resources as competitors, they are part of the same larger effort.

When more organizations are working toward the same goal, people have more chances to find the support they need.

A record should not have the final word

Rasa was founded around a simple idea: a person’s past should not automatically determine what opportunities are available in their future.

Clearing or changing an eligible criminal record cannot erase what happened. It can, however, help remove barriers that may continue long after a person has completed the requirements of the justice system.

For some people, that could mean feeling more confident applying for a job. For others, it could mean pursuing housing, education, professional opportunities, or simply moving forward with fewer reminders of the past.

Every person’s situation is different, and no record clearance outcome can be guaranteed.

But understanding what options exist is an important place to start.

Rasa is excited to make that starting point available to more people in Oregon.