Salem Regional Offices - Legal Aid Services of Oregon & Oregon Law Center

The office received a grant from NorthWest Senior and Disability Services (NWSDS), which helps older adults and people with disabilities get access to medical assistance and care providers through public safety-net programs.

The office is seeing an increase in bedbug cases and landlords charging low-income clients for pest treatment. One elderly client had numerous issues with bedbugs in their unit. It was a complex-wide problem, but the landlord was charging high fees for bedbug treatment. This was the second time the tenant was dealing with this issue, and they had already disposed of furniture per the landlord’s demand. Now the landlord wanted the tenant to get rid of new furniture, which they could not afford to do. Legal aid negotiated with the landlord and the client did not have to go through the costly process of disposing of their furniture and buying replacements. The landlord agreed to re-issue a notice that provided the client with more time and allowed the client to use a "bedbug sauna" to treat their furniture instead of disposing of it.

Farmworker Program, Woodburn Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

Legal aid has farmworker program offices in Gresham, Hillsboro, Pendleton, Portland, and Woodburn. 

After 18 years with the program, Brenda Bradley was selected as the new Farmworker Program Director at LASO. “I am excited about my new role and the additional opportunities it affords to support our staff, serve the farmworker community, and collaborate with partners and colleagues.”

The program is engaged in representing farmworkers not only on wage claims, but also on discrimination, retaliation, and claims related to housing and health and safety issues.  Due to the current environment, which thrives on creating fear in immigrant communities, our work is more challenging, but also more urgent.

Portland Regional Offices - Legal Aid Services of Oregon & Oregon Law Center

OLC’s Eviction Defense Project represented a client facing eviction for failure to put electric bill in his name, even though the bill had been in his name for 4 years. The landlord's agent refused to even negotiate with the tenant at the first appearance in eviction court. Legal aid helped obtain evidence to prove that their client had in fact been paying the electric bill for 4 years and sent it to the landlord's counsel. The case was promptly dismissed.

In July 2024, OLC’s Portland Regional Office expanded its reach to clients in the Columbia Gorge by starting a new legal clinic and partnership with the Hood River Latino Network. In-person consultations are offered to clients once a month, focusing on a variety of cases, including housing, employment and immigration.

LASO’s Portland Regional Office received a new grant through family justice center community partner, A Safe Place, for an attorney to represent clients in contested restraining order hearings in Clackamas County

Farmworker Program, Gresham Office - Oregon Law Center

Legal aid has farmworker program offices in Gresham, Hillsboro, Pendleton, Portland, and Woodburn. 

The Farmworker program recently hired Michael Vafa as a staff attorney with the Cannabis Workers Resilience Partnership. “I am excited about my new role to attain justice for historically underrepresented and marginalized groups such as farmworkers. I am also excited for the opportunity to promote and expand the law in a way that helps this client population.”

Pendleton Regional Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

The office holds regular in-person client consultations in Hermiston, Milton-Freewater, and Enterprise.

Hillsboro Regional Office - Oregon Law Center

The office represented a client who was violently abused by her spouse, who contested the client’s restraining order against him even though he had already pleaded guilty to related criminal charges. His criminal defense team also appeared on his behalf in the restraining order case. Legal aid ultimately negotiated a settlement in which the client’s abuser withdrew his objection to the continuance of the restraining order, withdrew his claim to custody of their child, and agreed to a highly protective parenting plan.

Paloma Dale recently transitioned to Supervising Attorney in the Hillsboro Farmworker Office. "It is a privilege to transition from my role as a staff attorney to a Supervising Attorney with LASO’s Farmworker Program after six years of advocacy on behalf of the Farmworker community. At this time of heightened political challenge, I remain committed to the work with compassion and steadfast resolve. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our community partners and fellow advocates to support, protect, and uplift the farmworker community."

Lane County Legal Aid – Oregon Law Center

Amy Scott recently started as a Supervising Attorney after over 10 years as a staff/senior staff attorney. She went to law school with the goal of working for legal aid and increasing access to justice for vulnerable people. "I want to be in the trenches fighting the good fight!"

The Lane County office has been seeing a large increase in housing needs and has been working more with the unhoused community.

Central Oregon Regional Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

The Central Oregon Regional Office provided a series of mini-trainings to community partners on a range of housing and employment law issues. They had very good feedback and high attendance at the series. It also helped them learn more about other legal issues that the office can assist clients with.

The office continues to partner with NAPOLS for a monthly legal clinic in Warm Springs.

Ontario Office - Oregon Law Center

The Ontario office received two small grants from local communities to assist with housing for low- income individuals in the Ontario service area.

The office continues to see emboldened landlords and their employees, as well as rising incidents of racism and targeting people for perceived differences or personality differences.

Douglas County Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

The office has been doing trainings for parents on how they can best prepare ahead of time if they are going to be unavailable to care for their children.

Klamath Falls Regional Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

The office helped a senior man who was housed with HUD "Section 8" rental assistance and had always paid his portion of rent. He was threatened with the loss of his housing assistance purely because the landlord failed to make certain basic habitability repairs to the rental that were required by HUD.  HUD then ceased paying its portion of the rental payments, and the landlord attempted to evict the tenant for "non-payment of rent." 

In court filings, legal aid argued that the lack of partial rent from HUD was purely due to the landlord. After those arguments, the case was resolved, and the tenant was spared from imminent homelessness.

Grants Pass Office - Oregon Law Center

The office recently hired Joseph Mandala. "I want to work at legal aid because I would like to provide access to those who traditionally lack access to justice. My existence is one that benefited from the privileged positions of others of goodwill who sought to better the lives of those in critical need. It gives me joy to know that I can utilize my training, skills, and experiences from my privileged position at legal aid to also assist others in need.".

Coos Bay Office - Oregon Law Center

Our office helped the mother of a young child who is a survivor of domestic violence. After filing a restraining order and fleeing her abusive husband, our client’s husband retained an attorney and filed for dissolution, asking for sole custody of the child. We represented our client in the dissolution. After conducting discovery and depositions, the parties entered into a negotiated settlement resulting in our client receiving sole custody of her child.

Lincoln County Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

The office has been fortunate to train two attorneys working with the Eviction Defense Program over the last few years.  Both have moved on to continue similar work with other nonprofit organizations.

Albany Regional Office - Legal Aid Services of Oregon

In January 2025, the office began a new medical-legal partnership with Samaritan Health in Albany.

Mackenzie Zook started his position as a Staff Attorney with the Eviction Defense Project in November 2024.  “Prior to starting work with LASO I had a solo practice, and after having a few cases where the opposing party was represented by a LASO attorney I got to learn more about how LASO provides legal assistance to lower income members of the community, which is something I believe is vitally important. I decided to transition out of my private practice and take a position with LASO because it provided me an opportunity to continue to serve members of the public in need of legal help while also giving me a chance to work with, and learn from, other great LASO attorneys who are committed to providing legal assistance to those who would not otherwise be able to access it.”