The 2023 Washington Legislature is now in session – and schedule to end on April 23rd. Local non-profit news source Crosscut has created a really helpful website that allows you to track legislative activity by topic of interest.  At a glance, you can the status of a particular piece of… Read more

The good folks at LexisNexis have collected a dozen free resources that may be of particular interest to legal professionals.  Not only are they handy and informative, but they can also be used to make the world a little better place. For more information, click HERE. And Happy Holidays… Read more

The King County Family Law Information Center (FLIC) provides assistance with a variety of family law-related processes including divorce, child support, parenting plans and parenting plan modifications.  FLIC is introducing a new service system affecting both the Seattle and Kent courthouses.  It will launch in January 2023.  In preparation for… Read more

The King County Department of Judicial Administration, also known as the Superior Court Clerk’s Office, is proud to announce the completion of the first phase of its new Website Translation Project. The project’s goal is to translate key content of the Clerk’s Office website into the top 7 languages spoken… Read more

The National Consumer Law Center has published a very useful article describing the twelve most significant changes to the laws and rules governing repaying or canceling student loan debt. You can also access additional digital content from NCLC, including their publication titled Student Loan Law, directly from King County Law… Read more

Washington State’s Health Care Authority administers an FCC program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).   The ACP is designed to make it cheaper for some Washington households to get high-speed Internet access.  If your household qualifies, you can get up to $30/month off of Internet connectivity charges and a one-time… Read more

WashingtonLawHelp.org has a new guide that helps explain the numerous changes made to Washington State’s protection order forms and process in June 2022.  For example, you can now use a single petition to file for a protection order if you have encountered domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking.  Some… Read more

Times change.  And so do sensibilities and values.  So not all legal decisions age as well as one might have expected.  Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Gonzalez has created a list of some decisions that should be (or already have been) changed. You can see the entire list and… Read more

The spread of technology into so many areas of our lives has opened up new avenues for harassing behavior.  From “cyber-stalking” to “revenge porn,” there are a number of things that we can do to fight back – but where to start?  Here are a few very helpful resources: CYBER… Read more

<< CLE Credit: 1.00 Ethics >> Filmmaker Jon Osaki’s documentary “Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066” takes an in-depth look at the legal rationale and evidence that undergirded the issuance of Executive Order 9066, which led to the wartime incarceration of almost 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, and… Read more

The City of Seattle has ended its moratorium on payment-related evictions.  This Seattle Times article provides a good update on the landscape that local renters may now be facing and also mentions a number of related resources. You can read the article HERE.   Read more

If you are a low-income tenant in Washington State, you may be eligible for legal assistance if you are facing eviction or looking for rent assistance.  For details. follow these links: Eviction Help Rental Assistance Read more

King County Superior Court issued Emergency Order 35 on January 12, 2022, extending the suspension of all in-person criminal trials until February 11, 2022.  The suspension is in response to concerns about the spread of the Omicron Variant of COVID-19 in King County.  Emergency Order 33 regarding all civil trials… Read more

Do you need help paying back rent?  In partnership with the King County Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program and Mary’s Place, the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County is distributing back-rent assistance funding to local families.  Applications for assistance are due to the Boys and Girls Club via… Read more

Very often, lawyers write and post very informative articles to their websites or blogs that provide helpful summaries of legal topics.  Running a general Google search will surely include some of these articles in their results – but they will be included with all of the other materials found across… Read more

The passage of SB 5160 charged the Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) with developing a plan to implement Washington State’s first-in-the-Nation program to provide no-cost legal representation for indigent tenants facing evictions.  OCLA has met the challenge and presented its plan to the Legislature ahead of its 90-day deadline. … Read more

Thanks to the folks at WDET 101.9 FM, Detroit’s NPR station, you can learn more about the US Constitution and Bill of Rights through the WDET Book Club.  Whether you prefer books, films or podcasts, WDET has assembled a great list of resources to help you better understand the documents… Read more

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… Read more

If your household qualifies, the Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service.  Qualified households on tribal lands will receive up to $75 per month.  Your household can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 towards the purchase of a… Read more

The Washington Legislature recently passed a number of important changes to the state’s landlord-tenant laws (generally, at RCW 59.18).  These changes include things like standards for rent repayment plans (as long as the state eviction moratorium is in effect), help for low-income tenants to get legal assistance, support for Eviction… Read more

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… Read more

The King County Prosecutor’s Office has launched an online dashboard that lets you track important data bout the felony cases that they’re pursuing.  The tool is an effort to offer more transparency around the number and types of cases being brought in the County – and how it’s being affected… Read more

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously to guarantee legal representation for people who are facing eviction and and cannot afford their own lawyers.  A recent amendment to the measure simply requires that one sign a statement that they cannot afford their own counsel. You can read the entire story HERE. Read more

In an increasingly online world, identity theft has become a greater risk for all of us.  In fact, just recently the personal information of 1.4 million Washingtonians was stolen from a state computer vendor. An article from the Washington State Law Library lays out some helpful steps that you can… Read more

As we reflect upon and honor the many contributions that have made us a richer nation and region, here are a few suggestions to help celebrate this important month: AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov Black History Month: Legacy Washington Profiles Black History Month at the New York Public Library King County Library System’s Black… Read more

If you run a small business or nonprofit and have a business-related question for an attorney, you can arrange for a free consultation.  Seattle Public Library and the UW School of Law are collaborating to make these virtual visits possible. For more information and to register, click HERE. Read more

The King County Law Library is proud to announce that we are making the NOLO Press database of DIY (do-it-yourself) legal materials available for free to all King County Residents. The books contain helpful guidance and sample forms on a number of very popular topics.  Titles include “Credit Repair,” “Neighbor… Read more

MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are online courses in a variety of disciplines, including the law, which anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can attend. They are free and often less structured than traditional in-person courses. Both of our local public library systems, Seattle Public Library and… Read more

Significant changes were made to our State’s nonparental custody laws in 2020.  The new laws were set to take effect after December 31, 2020 but the King County Superior Court Clerk’s office has recently learned that the implementation of these new laws has been postponed.  For more details about how… Read more

Both King County Library System and Seattle Public Library are offering curb-side printing pick-ups at select branches for registered users.  If you can’t print from home, take advantage of these COVID-19 work-around services. Curb-side printing pick-up at select SPL branches Curb-side printing pick-up at select KCLS branches Read more

A recent order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prohibits evictions due to an inability to pay – under certain circumstances.  The Suffolk University Law School has created an interactive questionnaire to help people decide whether they qualify under the federal guidelines.  It also generates a declaration… Read more

The Washington State Superior Court Judges’ Association (SCJA) work group in partnership with the state Office of Civil Legal Aid has created a new eviction resolution program to assist both tenants and landlords with resolving eviction and housing issues when our State’s eviction moratorium is lifted. Six superior courts in… Read more

The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a network of business development experts working in communities across Washington State to help entrepreneurs or small business owners start, grow or buy/sell a business. SBDC offers a variety of free e-Learning business development webinars covering such topics as business planning, financial… Read more

Most of the inmates being held in King County Jail are actually eligible to vote – although many of them do not know it.  Defense attorneys, advocates and election officials are reaching out to eligible inmates to help them have a voice in this year’s elections. You can read the… Read more

Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, anyone seeking a civil protection order will need to use the King County Superior Court Clerk’s new Virtual Civil Protection Order Office.  They will be able to submit their protection order petitions, have them reviewed by the Clerk via live conversation and receive real-time customer service. … Read more

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… Read more

With help from two partners, the City of Seattle Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs has complied a spreadsheet that can help you determine what benefits a person is eligible for based on their immigration status.   The spreadsheet no substitute for legal advice, but is rather intended as a… Read more