News + Events
Here you will find updates on our programs and services as well as information about our upcoming events.
Updates
Reports
Events
- Free Legal Consultation Clinics
- 2009 EKCBA Holiday Gala - ELAP Silent Auction
- 2009 Annual Spring luncheon
ELAP recipient of Eastside Community Aid Thrift Shop Grant
Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) received a grant for $5,000 to support ELAP's legal aid work to low-income survivors of domestic violence. ELAP will use this generous grant from the Eastside Community Aid Thrift Shop to recruit and train additional volunteers to meet the rising demands for legal assistance in King County. Follow this link to view the entire story.
King County Council Restores Funding for ELAP's Domestic Violence Legal Program for 2010!
Through an amendment to the King County 2010 budget, the King County
Council has restored funding for domestic violence programs including
ELAP’s Domestic Violence Legal Aid Program. During these difficult
economic times this decision by the Council recognizes the critical
needs of women and children suffering from abuse. Further violence and
homelessness will be averted for many victims because of the Council’s
decision to restore critical legal aid.
ELAP will be able to continue in 2010 advice clinics for survivors of
domestic violence, provide brief services, direct representation,
self-help workshops and consultations for obtaining protection orders
and addressing custody issues.
ELAP would like to thank the many supporters of legal aid to low-income
survivors of domestic violence for giving testimony on the essential
nature of ELAP’s services. You made this possible!
ELAP also thanks the King County Council for hearing our pleas to
restore this critical and essential funding, at time when it is most
needed.
Below is a letter from the Alliance for Equal Justice:
Dear Friends,
We have some good news - the Alliance for Equal Justice legal aid
programs that were zeroed out in the King County Executive Budget had
their funding nearly fully restored! Eastside Legal Assistance Program,
Solid Ground's Family Assistance Program, the Unemployment Law Project,
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and the King County Law Library all
received funding at roughly last year's levels. Unfortunately, TeamChild
did not see their 25% cut restored, but 75% of their funding was
protected.
All in all, this is a positive result for the Alliance and the people we
serve. Thousands of families struggling to survive poverty in King
County will get legal assistance to protect their basic needs. We
appreciate that the County Council recognized the critical services
provided by legal aid programs, but we are also cognizant that many
other important services (many of which serve our clients) did not have
their funding restored.
THANK YOU to all of you who took action on our alerts, testified at the
hearings, or wrote letters and made phone calls in support of legal aid
funding. We could not have done it without your help!
Sincerely,
Eastside Legal Assistance
Program,
Solid Ground's Family Assistance Program,
The Unemployment Law Project,
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project,
TeamChild,
The King County Law Library, and
The Equal Justice Coalition
Program Updates - July, 2009
- Clinics – ELAP held its second day shelter clinic and our second domestic violence survivor’s workshop/clinic.
- A CLE for ELAP volunteer attorneys on landlord/tenant issues too place facilitated by another ELAP volunteer attorney.
- Through Vice-President Judy Jennison, ELAP has recruited and is mentoring 5 new volunteer attorneys whom work at Microsoft.
Click here to view the mid-year "ELAP Facts and Figures 2009".
Angeline House Law Clinic Opens
Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) has launched a new monthly general law clinic at Angeline House, a day shelter for women. This is part of the shared collaboration with the Bellevue YWCA, the First Congregation Church in Bellevue, and ELAP. Once per month women who drop into the day shelter can receive free legal advice from ELAP volunteer attorneys. The attorneys who will ultimately cover this clinic are new to ELAP and are current Microsoft employees. These volunteers were recruited by our Vice President, Judy Jennison, and are being mentored by our seasoned volunteer attorney, Paula Miller. This clinic is the second one recently added in ELAP's efforts to go where the clients are located.
2008 Annual Report
The 2008 Eastside Legal Assistance Program is currently available for review.
2009 Annual Report
The 2009 Eastside Legal Assistance Program is currently available for review.
Free Legal Consultation Clinics
Eastside Legal Assistance Program, a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services in King County, announced that its volunteer attorneys are offering a free legal consultation clinic at the Kirkland/Northshore Hopelink. The clinics, which are designed to help low-income residents of east King County understand and assess civil legal issues, will take place twice a month.
“They definitely help low income people who have nowhere else to turn and cannot afford an attorney,” said volunteer attorney Paula Miller of the clinics. She said that ELAP holds general advice clinics like this on a regular basis, but that this is the first time that it will do so at the new Northshore/Kirkland Hopelink. According to ELAP’s annual report, in 2009, over 800 people received legal advice through clinics and workshops offered by the nonprofit in the Seattle area.
At the clinic in March, two attorneys will donate a total of four half hour appointments for low-income residents of the area. They will be able to provide advice about all civil legal matters and refer clients to other sources if possible.
For more information or to make an appointment, call Eastside Legal Assistance at (425)747-7274.
Annual ELAP/EKCBA Luncheon Honors Volunteers
Many thanks to all of our volunteers and friends who came to our annual ELAP/EKCBA luncheon in May. Judy Jennison, ELAP Vice President, was awarded Volunteer of the Year. Judy has been outstanding in her service as a board member, fundraiser, and volunteer recruiter. Honorable Mentions for volunteerism were also awarded to our wonderful volunteers, Paula Miller and Perry Warbrick.
2009 EKCBA Holiday Gala and ELAP Silent Auction
Many thanks for all those who attended the annual party on December 10th at the Parlor Billiards in Bellevue. ELAP raised over $1,500 from all who participated in the Silent Auction. ELAP has extended the auction to January 31, 2010 as a result of some very compelling late arrivals. Please take a moment to visit the Silent Auction page and place your bid!