Amid a funding crunch, more than 60 million people now qualify for civil legal aid, advocates say.

Ask people about the things that make America a “country of laws,” and one answer you will likely get is that everyone is entitled to be represented by a lawyer of his or her choice. But that promise has little meaning to more and more families at or near the poverty level.

At a White House forum April 17 on the state of civil legal assistance, co-hosted by LSC, President Obama said that making civil legal assistance available to low-income Americans is “central to our notion of equal justice under the law,” and pledged to be a “fierce defender and advocate” for legal services.

The Great Recession of 2011 has dramatically increased the demand for civil justice for the most vulnerable people in our community. The number of people seeking assistance with cases involving family safety, shelter preservation, predatory lending and access to basic services has grown to unprecedented levels. At the same time, legal aid resources have steadily decreased.

Steven Gonzalez was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the Washington state Supreme Court.

Read the latest newsletter from the EJC featuring an interview with NJP attorney Lili Sotelo of the Foreclosure Prevention Unit.

A Wenatchee veteran and longtime musician was two days away from having the county foreclose on his house before some community members stepped forward to help him with back taxes.

The U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington issues Temporary Restraining Order in class action challenging constitutionality of inadequate Disability Lifeline notice and procedure.   Recent DSHS change in procedure had resulted in termination of benefits for many disabled persons who had previously been on GAU.  This case appears likely to succeed on the merits and could result in the reinstatement of benefits for disabled individuals who were wrongly terminated or terminated with inadequate notice or attention to proper procedure.   Read the ruling in its entirety here:  https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/washington/wawdce/2:2010cv01366/169941/56/

The King County Veterans Citizen Levy Oversight Board has agreed to provide funding to help finance a legal fellowship with the goal of providing important legal services to King County veterans. The AmeriCorps fellowship is with the Northwest Justice Project and will assist veterans in removing the barriers to housing, employment, and self-sufficiency.