Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Services

The following free legal services are available to people in the Portland metro area:

Criminal Record Expungements

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Due to over policing and disproportionate law enforcement, many Black, brown, and low-income community members are stamped with criminal records that follow them through life and create insurmountable barriers to housing, employment, and education. The PCC Legal Resource Center provides free expungement services, currently accessed by less than 7% of eligible Oregonians. Criminal record expungements offered through the Center can immediately lift some of the weight of having a criminal history, and allow more full participation in society.

Eviction Expungements

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The PCC Legal Resource Center provides eviction expungements, a new legal service available in Oregon since 2020, to help people realize their right to housing by preventing landlords from improperly considering past evictions in residential-tenancy decisions. The PCC Legal Resource Center also provides limited legal advice to assist people navigating the housing court process pro se, and information and training for tenants to self-advocate.

DACA Renewals and Immigration Legal Screenings

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Undocumented people face countless barriers to full participation in society and are often largely forced to live in the shadows. DACA has provided some protection to a small group of undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children, including work authorization and a temporary reprieve from the threat of deportation. The PCC Legal Resource Center can help you file a DACA renewal.

New – Immigration Screenings for PCC Students: The PCC Legal Resource Center is now available to provide immigration screenings for all PCC students. This does not mean we can take your immigration case, but we can provide a free consultation with an immigration lawyer to explain what your immigration options might be.

Legal Name and Gender-Marker Changes

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The PCC Legal Resource Center can help you file a petition to legally change your name or gender marker in court in Oregon. We can also provide you with follow-up materials and walk you through the process of how to change your name or gender-marker on other documents once you receive a judgment from the court changing your name or gender marker.

Limited Scope Deportation Defense Services through Equity Corps of Oregon

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If you are currently detained or facing deportation in Oregon, we may be able to help you with limited scope legal services for your deportation defense. We do not charge for these legal services. To get navigated into the Equity Corps of Oregon program and access our limited scope legal services, please call our partner Pueblo Unido at: 503-360-0324

Eviction Legal Defense

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The PCC Legal Resource Center is thrilled to join the Oregon Law Center in the Eviction Defense Project, which provides free legal assistance to low-income tenants facing eviction. If you have been issued a termination notice by your landlord, or if you have an eviction court cases pending, please contact the Eviction Legal Defense Project as soon as possible, by filling out the Eviction Legal Defense Project web form or calling 888-585-9638.

Tenant Rights Letter Writing Clinic

Do you need to ask your landlord for a repair or accommodation but don’t know how to do it? Still waiting for your security deposit to be returned but not sure how to ask for it? PCC Legal Resource Center can help tenants draft request letters to landlords for issues such as disability reasonable accommodations, reasonable modifications, security deposit returns, fees and fines adjustments, and repair requests. You can drop-in for a letter writing clinic the last Friday of the month or fill out our Intake Form and mark “Tenant Advocacy Letters” to request online assistance.

Legal Advice & Referrals

This service is not available at this time.

See our list of free and low cost legal services.

PCC Resources

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In addition to legal services, PCC’s innumerable resources are available to all of our participants – education and wrap-around services unparalleled by other legal-service providers.

The PCC Legal Resource Center can refer you to the PCC Opportunity Center, Career Pathways, ABE/GED, ESOL, the DREAMers Resource Center, and many other PCC programs and resources, to help you reach your educational and career goals.

Please note, the PCC Legal Resource Center cannot provide any legal assistance or advice in the following types of cases:

• Legal issues that may involve a conflict under, or require violation of, the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct;
• Legal issues involving student vs. student;
• Any lawsuit or legal grievance against PCC faculty or staff;
• Any lawsuit or legal grievance against the PCC Administration; or
• Any claim against the PCC Board of Directors or other PCC representatives.
• For these complaints, you can visit PCC’s complaints and feedback page.