Perspectives on Justice: Dr. Luis Ricardo Fraga, Ph.D. 

ATJ Conference Keynote Speaker

"The protection of people's rights - preventing and limiting harm that people experience in their lives, informing people of their rights and how to enforce them - is the necessary first step and a critical component in any larger strategy for social change. But it's just a first step. It's a foundation upon which we must all build."

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH DR. FRAGA. 

Legislature in Special Session to Make Final Budget Decisions

The Washington Legislature went into Special Session on April 26. The House budget funds the Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) at $23.043 million. The Senate budget provides $137,000 more, funding OCLA at $23.180 million.

The Equal Justice Coalition is advocating for the Senate's appropriation for legal aid. The state will continues to face budget deficits next year; restoration of any reductions is not likely in the near future.

Please thank your legislators for supporting civil legal aid and urge them to protect the legal aid from any further reductions.

Federal Funding Cut:  

After a brief scare that our annual trip would need to be cancelled due to a government shutdown, the EJC headed to Washington, D.C., with a great group of volunteers in April: Washington Supreme Court Justice Debra Stephens, Washington State Bar Association President Steve Toole, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, LFW Board President Art Wang, EJC Chair Stan Bastian, NJP Executive Director César Torres and EJC Director Nell McNamara.

Federal funding has been fairly stable in recent years. However, on the plane ride to D.C., we found out that the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) was cut by $15.8 million for the rest of Fiscal Year 2011. This will translate to a $273,000 reduction to the Northwest Justice Project that must be absorbed between now and December 2011.

Despite a bleak outlook for FY 2012, we urged our Senators and Representatives to protect current funding for LSC in FY 2012 and if at all possible, meet the President's request of $450 million for FY2012.

• New law ensures that homeowners facing foreclosure have the right to mediation:
• The Bellingham Herald
• The Seattle Times
• State funding for the courts and law library at risk:
• Washington lawmakers must remember justice is the business of government (Judge Laura Inveen)
• With budget cuts, courts may struggle to retain order in society (Judge Stephen M. Warning)
• Keeping the courthouse doors open (Judge Stephen M. Warning)
• Don't close the state's law library (Bob Shirley)
• This month's Bar News - the official publication of the Washington State Bar Association - puts the spotlight on pro bono. Be sure to get your hands on a copy!
• Upcoming Alliance Events - don't miss anything! Check out the Alliance Event Calendar.

Outgoing and new members on the Access to Justice Board:

• Nicolas Gellert comes to the ATJ Board from Perkins Coie  this month. He is a former Legal Foundation of Washington Trustee and President with a long history of pro bono involvement.
• Breean Beggs, a Spokane attorney, also joined the ATJ Board in May. He is the former Chief Catalyst at Spokane's Center for Justice and has a long history of involvement in issues relevant to civil legal aid.
• Elizabeth Schoedel is leaving the ATJ Board after three years of service. Elizabeth has a long history of working in the civil legal aid community and a strong commitment to equal justice.  She worked on leadership development, moderate means  and technology initiatives while on the ATJ Board. A native of Spokane, she brought a valuable Eastern Washington perspective to the Board, particularly as concerns the unique needs of low income people in unserved rural areas.
• Greg Dallaire has served continually in the ATJ community for most of his career. Just prior to joining the ATJ Board he chaired the ATJ Board's Resource Development Committee, which resulted ultimately in the creation of the Campaign for Equal Justice. While on the ATJ Board he chaired the State Plan Oversight Committee, which established the current (and still active) regional planning teams throughout the state, and which focused on strengthening rural civil legal aid delivery.  Greg and his wife June are great cooks, and he gave generously of his hospitality as well as his time! After six years of service, Greg is joining the Endowment for Equal Justice Board.

• Adam Story joins LAW Fund and the Campaign for Equal Justice as its new Development Assistant. Adam is graduating from Pacific Lutheran University later this month. Welcome, Adam!
• Submit your organization's Comings & Goings for the next newsletter. 

• Chase Bank collecting hundreds of thousands in ATM Fees from welfare clients
• Huge backlog of cases strains federal 'Veterans Court'
• Microsoft official to speak at fundraising legal event [ELAP]
• It's Crunch Time for Legal Services Corp. Funding
• U-Visa Program Gives Illegal Immigrants Legal Status When They Are Victims of Crime
• Jeffrey Toobin addresses sell-out crowd [at KCBA Breakfast with Champions]
• ABA President Stephen N. Zack: "Justice in Jeopardy"
• The Power of Hope - an in-depth report examining the impact of legal aid programs on clients and the politics surrounding funding (The National Law Journal)