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Free Bilingual Legal Clinics

In partnership with Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (LBAW) and King County Bar Association (KCBA), El Centro de la Raza sponsors free legal clinics on the second Wednesday of each month from their offices at Centilia Cultural Center. The volunteer attorneys provide general consultations on a variety of topics including immigration, family law, auto accidents, personal injury, worker’s rights/wage claims and criminal law. Bilingual attorneys and interpreters are available.

The clinics operate on a first-come, first-served basis.  Registration runs from 4:00PM – 6:00PM.  Consultations begin at 6:00PM.

 

For more information, please call (844) 502-9832.

Read the clinic’s brochure

Sealed Name Change

More Washington Residents Now Eligible for Sealed Name Changes

The Washington state legislature recently expanded who may petition for a sealed name change in the state. The expansion now permits individuals seeking a name change for gender identity and expression purposes, emancipated minors, individuals who have received asylum, refugee or special immigrant juvenile status, and individuals who have experienced or fear domestic violence, stalking, harassment or coercion to petition for a sealed name change in any superior court in Washington.

You can see these changes made to RCW 4.24.130 here.

If you need guidance petitioning for a sealed name change in King County, you can purchase a packet with instructions and all required forms in person at KCLL, or online here.

Blake Refund Bureau Opens

In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court’s decision known as State v. Blake found the Washington law criminalizing drug possession unconstitutional.  The Blake Refund Bureau is now accepting applications to refund legal financial obligations (LFO) to people whose convictions were affected by the Blake decision.

 

Before you apply for an LFO refund from the Blake Refund Bureau, you need to:

  • Determine if you have a Blake-impacted criminal record.  For help determining if you qualify, review this eligibility guide from Civil Survival.
  • Ask the Court where you were convicted to vacate that conviction

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can apply for your refund at the Blake Refund Bureau’s application website.  If you need help with any of these steps, please contact the Blake Hotline at (360) 586-3164, Ext. 218.

For more information about the Blake decision and its impact, view this Fox13 Seattle report and/or review this guide provided by WashingtonLawHelp.

Free Access: Hornbooks and Nutshell Series Now Available as eBooks

Need to quickly brush up on an area of law that you’re not familiar with?  Well you’re in luck!  Both Hornbooks (remember those from law school?) and the famous “Nutshell” series are available remotely as eBooks from the Washington State Law Library.  And all you have to do to check them out is register a free account!

You can find more information about the titles and create a free account in the Washington State Law Library’s catalog here.

Free Financial Literacy Workshops from United Way of King County

United Way of King County is sponsoring a pair of free workshops to help low-income renters and previously incarcerated people learn how to improve their credit and better understand their finances.

 

 

Free IN-PERSON Credit Score Workshop for Low-Income Renters on July 8th from 1PM – 2PM

This workshop will be held in-person at the Rainier Beach branch of the Seattle Public Library.  The intended audience is low-income renters.  Lunch and transportation assistance will be provided.  Space is limited to 30 people and registration in advance is required.  To register for the July 8th workshop, visit this Eventbrite link.

 

Free ONLINE Credit Score Workshop for Previously Incarcerated People on July 9th from 10AM – 11AM

This workshop will be held online.  The intended audience is people reentering society after incarceration.  Space is limited to 100 people and registration in advance is required.  To register for the July 9th workshop, visit this Eventbrite link.

New Online Forms: Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Directives

Washingtonlawhelp.org has new online, interactive forms for both Durable Power of Attorney documents and Health Care Directives.

A power of attorney document lets you choose a trusted friend or relative to help you with your finances or health care decisions.  A Health Care Directive lets you state what kind of medical treatments you do or do not wish to have if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious and cannot make decisions for yourself.  These new programs ask you questions related to your situation and then fill out the proper forms for you.

Get started — Durable Power of Attorney Document

Get started — Health Care Directive

Get Help for Minor Guardianships

The King County Bar Association’s Kinship Care Solutions program provides free legal advice and representation to relatives or significant caregivers trying to set up minor guardianships.  The service is staffed by volunteer attorneys.  Eligibility is income-based and also uses the following criteria:

 

  • The length of time the child may have already resided with the caregiver.
  • Is the caregiver a safe and stable placement for the child?
  • Would the child be at risk if returned to his/her parents?
  • How difficult it is to find a volunteer attorney for the case?
  • Would the caregiver be able to bring the case without an attorney?

For more information, visit the KCBA website to fill out the online intake form or contact KCBA via email at KinshipCare@kcba.org or by phone at (206) 267-7086.

 

Books Unbanned Initiative Fights Censorship

To help support unlimited and unrestrained access to ebooks and audiobooks, and combat censorship, Seattle Public Library is joining the Brooklyn Public Library in offering free access to its electronic collections for teens and young adults, regardless of where they live.  The offer applies to anyone anywhere in the United States who is between the ages of 13 and 26.  Anyone interested and eligible can sign up for both programs, since the ebook and audiobook collections of the two systems differ.

SPL’s Books Unbanned program is privately funded through the SPL Foundation’s Equity & Access Fund.

Read more about and enroll in SPL’s Books Unbanned program here.

Read more about and enroll in BPL’s Books Unbanned program here.

Problems with the Title to Your Home?

Is the deed to your home in YOUR name?  

While we may assume that we know the status of our home’s deed, there are many reasons it may not be as clear as we think – and that can create headaches down the road.  This can easily arise when someone passes away and probate has not made the property transfer clear, for example.

This article discusses eight common problems and what strategies consumers can use to correct them.

You can read the entire article HERE.

And you can also explore a number of NCLC publications in our remote database HERE.