Our Editorial Process

Oregon Law Help provides free, reliable legal information for people navigating civil legal issues in Oregon. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that all content is accurate, practical, and accessible.

We combine legal expertise, cross-sector collaboration, and plain language writing standards to produce content that reflects both the law and how it is experienced in practice.

Editorial standards

Our content is guided by the following principles:

• Accuracy: All content is written or reviewed by licensed Oregon attorneys. We aim to reflect current Oregon law, court rules, and procedures.
• Clarity: We translate complex legal concepts into plain language. Like other trusted legal publishers, we aim to make the law understandable to non-lawyers.
• Practicality: We focus on what users need to know to take the next step, including understanding processes, options, and risks.
• Jurisdiction-specific guidance: Our content is tailored to Oregon law and court systems, with input from statewide partners.

Institutional partnerships

We develop content in collaboration with key partners across Oregon’s legal system.

• Oregon Judicial Department: We work to ensure that our content aligns with court processes and reflects how cases move through the system.
• Oregon’s legal aid providers: Legal aid attorneys contribute subject matter expertise and help ensure our content reflects the needs of low-income Oregonians.
• Private attorneys: We partner with private attorneys, including pro bono volunteers, who contribute subject matter expertise and assist with drafting and reviewing content.
• Community organizations: We collaborate with community-based organizations and advocates who work directly with affected populations. Their input helps ensure our content reflects real-world challenges and is responsive to community needs.

These partnerships help ground our content in both doctrine and real-world application.

Core editorial team

Our internal team consists of Oregon licensed attorneys with:

• Subject matter expertise across civil legal areas.
• Experience serving low-income and self-represented litigants.
• Training in plain language and user-centered legal writing.

Our team is responsible for drafting, editing, and maintaining content across the site.

Content development model

We use a collaborative, multi-layered approach. We combine legal expertise, community insight, and plain language at every stage of development.

Subject matter workgroups

For our primary content areas—family law, housing, public benefits, and consumer law—we convene ongoing subject matter workgroups. These groups include attorneys, legal aid staff, community partners, and other experts.

Workgroups play a central role in shaping our content. They help identify priority topics, inform content strategy, and review new and updated materials. This structure ensures that our content reflects both legal accuracy and the real-world needs of the communities we serve.

Subject matter expert collaborations

For specialized or emerging topics, we work with subject matter experts who have deep expertise in a particular area of law. We collaborate with these experts to define the scope and approach for the content. Our team then drafts the material using plain language principles, and the expert reviews it for legal accuracy and completeness.

This approach allows us to address complex or niche topics while maintaining a consistent voice and a strong focus on usability.

Pro bono author contributions

We partner with pro bono attorneys to expand our coverage of foundational legal topics. These attorneys contribute content based on a curated list of priority topics, often focused on core legal processes, rights, and system overviews. All contributed content is reviewed and edited by our internal team to ensure consistency in accuracy, tone, and clarity.

Review and maintenance

All content undergoes editorial review prior to publication. Depending on the topic, this may include:

• Legal review by subject matter experts.
• Stakeholder review through workgroups or partners.
• Internal editorial review for clarity and usability.

We review and update content periodically to reflect changes in the law, court rules, and user needs.

Commitment to access and usability

Our content is designed for people without legal training. We prioritize:

• Plain language.
• Clear structure and navigation.
• Action-oriented guidance.

This approach is grounded in a long-standing movement within legal publishing to make legal information more accessible to the public.

Get involved

We welcome collaboration from attorneys, advocates, and subject-matter experts interested in improving access to legal information in Oregon.

If you are interested in contributing to Oregon Law Help content—whether by writing, reviewing, or advising on a topic—please contact us at portal@osbar.org.