![March 2023 CLE event hosted by OCJ featuring a panel of speakers at a long table in front of an audience, with a projector screen displaying "Oregon Consumer Justice" and the tagline "Putting people first."](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_1280/public/2024-07/what%20we%20do.png?itok=znCYLr2y)
We champion consumer rights in policy and advocacy, community engagement, and the law to advance our vision for a more just and equitable Oregon. By working in close collaboration across our initiatives, we are a formidable force to take on consumer injustices statewide.
OCJ works to prevent bad actors from engaging in practices that exploit or harm consumers by pushing for more robust consumer protection policies and vigorous enforcement of existing laws.
![A group of advocates standing behind a large wooden desk, with Governor Tina Kotek, seated in the center holding up the ceremonially signed documents for SB 1595. They are in a formal room with flags and bookshelves in the background.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_800/public/2024-07/policy-advocacy_4.png?itok=9s3iX_hi)
We directly engage our communities to understand their insights and develop responsive resources that support consumers to protect themselves.
![A group of children and adults are engaged in an activity at a community event, with a colorful poster titled "Purchasing a Used Car" visible in the foreground.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_800/public/2024-07/community-engagement_4.png?itok=N2d8EiFG)
We add to the strength of the consumer legal community, fighting for legal rulings that improve consumer outcomes.
![An older person and an attorney sitting together at a table](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_800/public/2024-07/legal%20solutions_3.png?itok=b-kvMtus)
Yet, Oregonians are cheated out of billions of dollars each year by bad actors who exploit outdated policies and practices, on the notion that we won’t push back. And sometimes we can't.
And why not? Well, for too long, policies and practices have put business interests ahead of Oregonians’, and the services and financial products we rely on—like loans, warranties, and credit cards—haven't been set up to support those of us actually using them. Compounding these issues is the racism ingrained across all our systems—including banks and financial institutions—which continues to drive deep disparities in wealth, benefiting white people and driving inequities that impact communities of color.
We know that consumer injustices do not affect Oregonians equally. In response, OCJ commits to prioritizing communities most often targeted and disproportionately impacted by bad actors and bad policy, this includes communities of color, older adults, individuals with disabilities, low-income earners, immigrant populations, and rural Oregonians.