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Tribal members can
access the program s
44 attorneys and
17 paralegals at
one of 11 offices
throughout Oregon.
By Brent Merrill
Tribal members in need of legal
services can turn to the Tribe's
Grand Ronde Legal Services team for
advice. And, although the legal ser
vices department can't help every
tribal member with every type of
need, they can and do provide ser
vices to many people.
Even though the main office of
Grand Ronde Legal Services is lo
cated in McMinnville, tribal members
can access the program's 44 attorneys
and 17 paralegals at one of 11 of-s
fices throughout Oregon. The offices
are located in McMinnville, Albany,
Bend, Grants Pass, Hillsboro, New
port, Oregon City, Portland, Pendle
ton, Roseburg and Woodburn.
Grand Ronde Legal Services is a
component of Oregon Legal Services
and has contracted to provide legal ,
expertise to the Tribe since 1996.
The contract allows tribal members
living in Oregon, or with leeal Drob-
lems originating in Oregon, and
tribal staff to receive free legal ser
vices in certain situations.
Tribal members involved in social
security disputes, disability claims,
housing disputes, employment rela
tions, domestic disputes, veteran's
benefits issues and questions about
pensions or personal wills can turn
to Grand Ronde Legal Services for
relief and answers.
When a tribal member uses Grand
Ronde Legal Services, the attorney
time is not billed to the tribal mem
ber. But, tribal members do have to
cover the court filing fees and the
cost of litigation if they choose to pro
ceed with a case.
The legal services program cannot
take on criminal cases on behalf of
tribal members and does not repre
sent tribal members in disputes with
other tribal members, the Tribal
Council or the casino.
Lead Attorney Gayle Patterson said
some legal concerns should come to
the McMinnville office no matter
where the tribal member seeking ser
vices lives.
"Generally, we would prefer that
people contact whatever office is
nearest their home, but if they want
assistance with personal bankrupt
cies, wills or adoptions they should
call the McMinnville office directly,"
explained Patterson. "What Tribal
Council looked at were the kinds of
most pressing needs that people
would have. As a result, we do rep
resentation in social security, retire
ment and disability type cases. We
do domestic relations cases. We do
consumer and debt-related cases. We
also can help with obtaining veteran's
benefits and other kinds of govern
ment benefits that tribal members
may be entitled to. These are things
we look at as income enhancing ar
eas of the law for low-income tribal
members."
Patterson said she agrees with the
Tribe's philosophy of providing the
basic essentials to improve someone's
life.
"I kind of see a pattern in those ar
eas of law that they chose because
they are all areas that help stabilize
people's economic condition or assist
them in improving their economic con
dition," said Patterson. "It also ad
dresses basic needs that people have
like food, shelter and medical care.
"So, that is kind of the pattern that
I see and that is the kind of legal ser
vices they (Tribal Council) has asked
us to provide to tribal members real
hard core issues of survivability and
economic empowerment," said Pat
terson. "I do think there is a pattern
and a philosophy there. It (legal ser
vices) is something that lasts."
Tribal Council member Ed Pears
all said providing access to tribal mem
bers in need of legal advice is an im
portant responsibility that the Tribe
takes seriously.
"First of all, there is a lot of tribal
members who do not have access to
any legal component at all because
of the cost," said Pearsall. "Grand
Ronde Legal Services helps in some
respects, but it can't help with every
thing. They help with important
personal issues like obtaining social
security benefits and other vital
needs. They will also help direct
tribal members to get help in certain
areas of their lives. I think it is im
portant that we provide these ser
vices where and when we can. I
think it's needed and I support it.
"I think it is one of the most posi
tive things we have done so far," said
Pearsall. "Anytime we can help our
tribal members and reach out to them
it's a good thing for the Tribe."
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Attorney finds rewards in helping tribal families
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Attorney Gayle Patterson (left) and tribal member Mary Mode work to
gether in the McMinnville office.
By Brent Merrill
Grand Ronde Legal Services' top
attorney, Gayle Patterson said her
work with the Grand Ronde Tribe
and its individual tribal members has
been rewarding to her.
Patterson, who has worked with
the Tribe for five years now, said she
feels she is part of an extended fam
ily and that feeling has given her a
renewed spirit of dedication to the
members of the Tribe.
"Working within Grand Ronde Le
gal Services has been very reward
ing and it has revitalized my profes
sional life," said Patterson.
Before her association with the
Tribe began, Patterson said practic
ing law had started to become too de
personalized for her.
"It is very easy to start practicing
law in a way that only allows people
to just sort of flow like a river in front
of your face," said Patterson. "You
just never really develop a relation
ship with anybody. Since I have
been working for the Tribe I have
found that I am working for a dis
creet community of people with a
similar identifiable culture and fam
ily lifestyle. I understand how fami
lies work and now I have a better
understanding of what tribal mem
bers really need from us. I have de
veloped a good working relationship
with the people."
She said satisfaction from doing
her job comes easily when she is able
to help tribal Elders sort through the
complicated myriad of social security
and disability requirements. She said
it is fulfilling to be able to use her
legal expertise and position as a law
yer to help tribal members cut
through the red tape and get vital
services and benefits they deserve.
Patterson told a story about help
ing a terminally ill tribal member
fend off relentless creditors from their
pattern of harassment.
"It is tremendously gratifying
when you are in a position to do
something like that " said Patterson.
"It makes you feel like it was worth
while to get up and go to work that
day. In that respect it has made my
work much more interesting again
because I get to paint with a bigger
palette." .