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Category: Civil Rights

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

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.

ACLU WA’s The Future of Abortion in Washington Discussion Available Again

In May 2022, ACLU of Washington sponsored a pre-Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization discussion about abortion and reproductive rights.  The speakers included Dr. Erin Berry, Washington State Medical Director, Kia Guarino, Executive Director of  Pro-Choice Washington,  Miranda Varags, board member of Northwest Abortion Access Fund, and Leah Rutman, Health Care and Liberty Counsel, ACLU-WA.  The program was moderated by ACLU-WA Executive Director, Michele Storms.  ACLU-WA has made a recording of this discussion available again and encourages you to watch again or attend for the time.

GAO Reports Servicemembers Risk Losing Rights

The Government Accountability Office recently reported that servicemembers are at risk of losing valuable rights and protections granted to them by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)  Businesses may ask servicemembers to waive certain rights granted by the SCRA.  Servicemembers are often unaware that they are doing so or have little understanding of the long-term effects.  The rights servicemembers can inadvertently waive include the right to terminate motor vehicle leases early, the right to stay the enforcement of civil court proceedings, and protections against foreclosure.

See a summary of the GAO report here.

See the full GAO report here.

For more information about the report, contact GAO Director Tranchau (Kris) T. Nguyen at (202) 512-7215 or nguyentt@gao.gov

White House Fights to Increase Access to Legal Aid

Having legal representation can make all the difference in the world – from keeping someone in their home, to securing proper citizenship status, to protecting people against consumer fraud.  This week, the White House announced that it was reinvigorating federal efforts to provide that critical aid – including a request of $1.5 billion in funding for state and local justice systems.

 

You can read the White House announcement HERE.

The Associated Press story can be read HERE.

 

REPORT: Legal Cybersecurity in the Digital Age

Most of us know that our digital communications face a number of threats these days – from data breaches and hacks, to public and private surveillance.  These risks also threaten the confidentiality of attorney-client relationships.  The ACLU of New York has written a report that outlines steps that can be taken by parties to protect that privacy, and rules that can ensure ongoing protection.

“Can I Vote?” Flowcharts to Help You Understand Voting Rights

The Washington State office of the ACLU has posted helpful “Can I Vote?” flowcharts to help people with criminal convictions figure out if they are eligible to vote.  The flowcharts are written in seven languages–English, Chinese, Korean, Oromo, Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese.  A person convicted as an adult of a felony in Washington State loses their right to vote and is also ineligible if they are serving a sentence for any felony conviction from another State or federal court.  The right to vote is automatically restored once the person is no longer under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Corrections.  Read the English language version of the “Can I Vote?” flowchart here.

K & L Gates Creates Pro Bono Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project

K & L Gates has founded a pro bono project to help victims of “revenge porn” or nonconsensual pornography defend their “cyber” civil rights.  Assistance is available to victims both within the United States and abroad.  To contact the Cyber Civil Rights Project and K & L Gates, use this link.  For more information about cyber civil rights, see the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s web site.

King County Welcomes All

King County government has recently released a poster supporting the motivation behind the County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan for 2016 – 2022.  As described by the County, the Strategic Plan “is a blueprint for action and change that will guide our pro-equity policy direction, our decision-making, planning, operations and services, and our workplace practices in order to advance equity and social justice within County government and in partnership with communities.” You can download a copy of this poster here.