State Legislature Convenes, Legal Aid Funding at Risk

Our legislators face very tough decisions in the 105-day session that began on Monday. State-funded legal aid programs, including the Northwest Justice Project, pro bono programs across the state, TeamChild and others, are at risk to receive some level of cut in state funding.

What can you do to help? 

• Make sure you receive email alerts from the Equal Justice Coalition and contact your legislators at critical times to urge funding for the Northwest Justice Project, its partners and TeamChild.
   
• Download the EJC's 2011 One Pager for talking points and background information.
   
• Sign up for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project's email list for news about state funding for naturalization programs.

• Access to Justice Board meets tomorrow, Friday 1/14/11.
• Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen gives State of the Judiciary Address, legal help for poor was a top issue
• Columbia Legal Services' Casey Trupin interviewed by PBS for a special report on homelessness.
• Upcoming Alliance Events - don't miss anything! Check out the Alliance Event Calendar.

• Laurie Powers, the Unemployment Law Project's managing attorney at the Spokane office since it opened in 2006, will leave that position in January 2011 to become the  associate director of the new Center for Law in Public Service (CLIPS) at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane. The mission of CLIPS is "to support the aspirations of students who study law in order to use their knowledge and skills for public service..." A significant part of Ms. Powers' new job will be to coordinate student participation in the statewide Moderate Means Program, a collaboration among the state's three law schools (Gonzaga University, Seattle University, and the University of Washington) and the Washington State Bar Association. Rosemary Villarreal, who was hired as a full-time attorney for ULP's Spokane office on a one-year contract for 2010, will be staying on with ULP at least through 2011. Jessica Long, a legal assistant in ULP's Seattle office for the past two years, left in September to attend graduate school at the London School of Economics. And Lauren Fogerty, a long-time volunteer for ULP and a graduate of the University of Washington's paralegal program, took over Jessica's position in the Seattle office.
• Catherine Brown leaves her post as Director of the Skagit County Volunteer Lawyer Program to become the Washington State Bar Association's new Public Service Manager.
• Cristina Parker is leaving Northwest Justice Project, where she is a staff attorney in the Everett office, on January 21to become the Civil Legal Aid Attorney for the Tulalip Tribes Foundation Office of Civil Legal Aid.
• Odette Akers is the passionate new director of the Volunteer Program of Island County serving low-income clients on Whidbey Island.
• Submit your organization's Comings & Goings for the next newsletter.