"I believe that corporations need to be law-abiding in order for our society to function safely and fairly." Rachel O’Bryan, CoPIRG Volunteer

Rachel O’Bryan, CoPIRG Volunteer

CoPIRG interviewed Rachel O’Bryan, a CoPIRG member and current volunteer. Rachel’s research is furthering our work to investigate corporate scandals and reform the systems of accountability that protect consumers from corporate misrepresentation.

Rachel, a Denver mom, started volunteering with CoPIRG in October 2005. Rachel’s family lives within walking distance of several great parks, the Zoo, the museum and the botanic gardens.

She and her husband and son enjoy hiking, biking and traveling in the area. A former lawyer with consumer protection experience, Rachel still gets her news from the papers, not the Internet.

We’ve been lucky to have her help with our work. Here, she tells more about her experience as a volunteer:

What kind of work have you done with CoPIRG?

So far, I have worked on updating a report on corporate financial misrepresentations (such as Enron and WorldCom) that will propose that further legislative reform is needed.

What are the issues you are most concerned about?

I believe that corporations, just like individuals, need to be law-abiding in order for our society to function safely and fairly.

As we saw in the last few years, corporations and the people running them began to believe that they are above the law.

While there are state and federal agencies in place to address corporate misconduct, I really believe independent organizations such as CoPIRG provide an invaluable service by monitoring the behavior of corporate America on behalf of our citizen consumers.

Why did you decide to volunteer with CoPIRG?

When my son started pre-K this fall, I suddenly had extra time on my hands.

I was looking for a part-time position that would fit into my schedule. It had to be something I was passionate about, but it also had to be something where my skills and education would be of use.

I practiced law for almost seven years before leaving to raise my family. I was primarily an antitrust attorney, but also did a significant amount of work on consumer protection issues, so I knew CoPIRG would be a good fit.

What has your volunteer experience been like?

I work in the LoDo offices of CoPIRG. It is great to be back in an office environment and feel the energy generated by the dedicated staff.

Intellectually, I am stimulated by the subject of my report and have enjoyed educating myself on all the legal changes that have occurred since I left practice.

Why would you encourage other CoPIRG members to get involved?

I believe our members are educated, skilled and compassionate people who have talents that they don’t realize would be valuable to CoPIRG.

Are you a people person? Do you like to write? Do you like to do research? Are you a news or C-SPAN junkie?

If you are, and you can carve out some time, I believe you would be warmly welcomed by Rex and the CoPIRG staff and that your skills would be put to very good use.

I’ve really enjoyed my time volunteering in the office so far. The best part is you could help advance the cause, protect the public interest and feel like you’ve done your part.

Want to be our next Rachel? Our office in Denver is just one of many places you can help protect the public interest.

We have volunteer opportunities in our office, in the community and also online. You can find out more or sign up for action-alerts.