ejc.orgEqual Justice Coalition

ABOUT ADVOCACY SIGN UP FOR ACTION ALERTS RESOURCES FUNDING CONTACT Join the movement to create JUSTICE FOR ALL! ABOUT US Mission: To ensure that people are treated equally and fairly before the law by educating policymakers and the public about the importance of civil legal aid in our communities and advocating for sufficient public funding for civil legal aid on behalf of low-income people in Washington State. History: The EJC was established in 1995 to serve as a strong voice to advocate for adequately funding civil legal aid programs in Washington State. We’re a non-partisan grassroots organization and serve as a standing committee of the Washington State Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Board. Advocacy: We work at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure low-income people have access to legal help, assistance, and representation. Members are updated on important legal aid issues through Action Alerts and our blog, which spotlights the impactful work of our partner organizations and champions for legal aid. EJC TEAM Andrew Sachs CHAIR Andy is in-house counsel for Getty Images, where he manages global litigation for the company. (more…) Kirsten Barron CHAIR-ELECT Kirsten practices in the areas of business and employment at Barron Smith Daugert PLLC. She has been a volunteer for LAW Advocates, the Whatcom County volunteer lawyer program, for over 20 years. (more…) Salvador A. Mungia IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Sal, a partner in the Tacoma office of Gordon Thomas Honeywell, is a past president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association. (more…) Will Livesley-O’Neill STAFF As the Communications and Advocacy Director of the Legal Foundation of Washington, Will oversees messaging and outreach and staffs the . (more…) LEGAL AID HELPS: More than 70% of low-income Washingtonians experience at least one civil legal problem each year, but only 24% are able to get legal help. The 2015 Civil Legal Needs Study Update documents the growing and critical need for civil legal aid. Washington State’s legal aid network, known as the Alliance for Equal Justice , is comprised of statewide and specialty legal aid organizations that work collaboratively with 17 county-based volunteer attorney programs to provide low-income people with access to justice. The Northwest Justice Project is Washington’s largest, publicly funded civil legal aid provider. In 2015, NJP closed a total of 14,858 cases, directly benefiting 32,978 low-income people in need of civil legal services. Northwest Justice Project’s principal funders are the WA Legislature, through the Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) and Congress, through the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC). NJP’s programs include: Regional Offices : 17 regional offices provide extended legal advocacy and representation in the most pressing and difficult cases facing low-income people across the state. CLEAR (Coordinated Legal Education Advice & Referral): Washington’s statewide, toll-free, legal assistance hotline provides centralized client screening, including online intake, for Alliance-wide legal aid providers. Special Services Units : Addressing particular legal problems or the needs of specific vulnerable communities – Foreclosure Prevention Unit, Foreclosure Consequences Advocacy Team, Medical Legal Partnerships, Veterans Project, Reentry Initiated through Services and Education (RISE) Project, Integrated Rural Legal Assistance Project, Farm Worker Unit, and Native American Unit. WashingtonLawHelp.org : Online self-help center containing hundreds of legal resources, forms and instructions (in multiple languages), including document assembly technology, and educational videos. Consumer 13% Housing 31% Family (DV Advocacy) 36% Income Maintenance 5% Health 3% Employment 3% Miscellaneous 9% If you are seeking legal help, call the Northwest Justice Project’s CLEAR hotline at 1 (888) 201-1014. The CLEAR hotline is open from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you are a senior , call 1-888-387-7111. If you are a veteran , call 1-855-657-8387. If you are a resident of King County , call 211 or 1-800-621-4636 (toll free). If you need help with a foreclosure case, call 1-800-606-4819. The does not provide any legal advice or representation. Instead our efforts go to helping retain and gain adequate funding for legal aid programs in Washington State. FUNDING FEDERAL STATE KING COUNTY Established in 1974, the Legal Services Corporation ( LSC ) promotes equal access to justice by providing federal funding grants to 134 nonprofit legal aid programs across the United States. Northwest Justice Project is Washington State’s LSC grantee. Federal funding for legal aid has dropped significantly over the years. In Fiscal Year 2010, LSC funding peaked to $420 million, which provided NJP with a $6.8 million grant. Between FY 2010 and FY 2017, LSC funding has decreased by roughly 14% (adjusted for inflation), which has resulted in a reduction of funding for NJP and, subsequently, a reduction of services for low-income people in need of legal aid. On March 16, 2017, the Trump Administration released its initial FY 2018 budget that included the complete elimination of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). Fortunately, there is strong bipartisan support for LSC in Congress, and the likelihood of the elimination of LSC is small. For the FY 2018 budget, the EJC joined organizations across the country in advocating for $450 million for LSC. However, as of January 2018, Congress has yet to pass a FY 2018 budget and is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution, extending the current appropriation of $385 million for LSC. Legal Aid Provider Supported By State Funding Northwest Justice Project 2013 Legislative Session Recap: 2013-2015 Biennium Budget For the 2013-2015 Washington State budget, the Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA), which funds NJP, received the same level of funding that the Legislature provided in the 2011-2013 biennium – $23.186 million. Early in the 2013 session, the Senate Ways & Means Committee proposed a $5.4 million cut to OCLA. Thankfully, Senators Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) and Ed Murray (D-Seattle) co-sponsored a last minute, bipartisan amendment to restore $2 million of the $5.4 million cut to OCLA. This amendment was adopted as part of the Senate-proposed budget. However, the EJC did not stop there. We, after months of hard work, were able to erase these cuts completely. At a time when budgets were slashed for many entities, this result was a relief for the thousands of low-income people that depend on legal aid to secure justice and meet fundamental human needs. Without the help of our members, their calls and emails to legislators, none of this would have been possible. Our collective voice, commitment, and willingness to contact our legislators about the importance of legal aid to low-income communities created this successful outcome. 2014 Legislative Session Recap: January 13 - March 13, 2014 During the 2014 legislative session, the EJC successfully communicated the need for funding OCLA. Thanks to our efforts, the Legislature passed a one-time appropriation of $280,000 to replace and upgrade the antiquated technology of NJP’s statewide legal aid hotline – C.L.E.A.R. C.L.E.A.R. serves as Washington’s gateway for thousands of low-income people to secure legal representation, advice, and referral. 2015 Legislative Session Recap: 2015-2017 Biennium Budget During the long 2015 legislative session that has lasted roughly six months and has required three special sessions, our elected officials grappled with extremely challenging issues, such as funding K-12 education, pay raises for state employees and teachers, and a statewide transportation package. In the midst of all of this, the EJC and its supporters worked hard to obtain a much needed increase for civil legal aid funding, as the need for legal aid services in our state has never been greater...