| King County Budget Update
Take Action, King County Residents!  Critical funding for five Alliance members in King County is at great risk for elimination as the county faces a continued budget deficit in 2011: Eastside Legal Assistance Program, Family Assistance Program at Solid Ground, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, TeamChild, and Unemployment Law Project. Last year, Alliance supporters spoke up about the importance of legal aid funding for struggling King County families and the King County Council protected the majority of legal aid funding in the 2010 budget. Now legal aid funding is even more vulnerable. King County Executive Dow Constantine is preparing his 2011 budget, to be released on September 27. There is still time to influence the Executive's budget proposal. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KING COUNTY BUDGET PROCESS AND URGE EXECUTIVE CONSTANTINE TO MAINTAIN FUNDING FOR LEGAL AID IN 2011. |
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Perspectives on Justice: Annie Lee
An Interview with TeamChild's Executive Director
 "The work of legal aid plays an important role not only in relieving crises for families but also in intervening in a way that can interrupt the cycle of poverty. If an attorney is there at the right time, people can get back on track where they didn't think they had any options. For children, there are many points in their lives when intervention can prevent risk of falling into or staying in poverty. That moment is critical because if you miss it, it gets harder and harder to catch up. It is at this very moment that a legal aid lawyer can play a critical role in keeping a child from starting down a path that may lead to poor outcomes in life." READ THE INTERVIEW WITH ANNIE LEE. |
ATJ Board Recommends Action on Immigrant & Civil Rights Issues
For fifteen years the Access to Justice (ATJ) Board has acted on the belief that access to the civil justice system is a fundamental right, and achievement of this right for all people in the state is critical to the health and well-being of the communities in which we live. Early this summer, tensions were running high across the nation with ongoing bad economic news and a recently passed Arizona law that raised serious concerns about civil rights. Following a plenary session with discussion from members of the community at the Access to Justice Conference in June, t he ATJ Board voted to support recommendations that affirm necessary principles for equal access to our state's justice system for all people. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS. |
WSBA Launches Lawyer Recruitment for Statewide Moderate Means Program
The Washington State Bar Association's (WSBA) Moderate Means Program is a reduced-fee lawyer referral program designed to bring greater access to justice for people of moderate means in Washington State. Partnering with the state's three law schools , WSBA will recruit and provide online training and mentoring opportunities for participating lawyers while law students coordinate intake and referrals. READ MORE ABOUT THE MODERATE MEANS PROGRAMS AND ITS BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPATING LAWYERS. |
Need to Know
Groundbreaking Cases from Alliance Members: State Budget Threatens Funding for Legal Aid & Other Important Services for Our Communities: Other Need to Know Items: |
| Comings & Goings
Welcome new staff and volunteers to the Alliance, and say good bye and thank you to outgoing colleagues!
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