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

If you have a civil case in King County Superior Court and need to ask your assigned judge to do something, this packet may be very helpful.  It has instructions and forms for submitting a motion (the way you ask the court to do something) and a proposed order (the… 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

Unpaid traffic fines will no longer be used as grounds for suspending a person’s driver’s license.  Not only that, but licenses that are already suspended – due to fines or a failure to appear for a noncriminal moving violation – will be reinstated.  This moratorium stems from a recent Thurston… 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

Low income residents of King County who are behind on their rent can now apply for a new assistance program.  Recipients will be selected in a weekly lottery-style drawing and can can receive up to 12 months of total rent – including up to three months of future rent.  To… 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

There is an effort to protect family cohesion when they face allegations of neglect or abuse.  The effort includes legislation in Olympia (HB 1227) and seeks to emphasize alternatives to placing children into foster care, where appropriate. You can read the full 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

KCLL subscribers have remote access to a growing list of important treatises – and that includes Corbin on Contracts.  Corbin’s publisher LexisNexis is putting on a free 90-minute webinar that will look at the topic of Force Majeure in age of COVID-19.  Covered topics will include rights of recovery, how… 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 Seattle Public Library is kicking of a series of events to designed to educate, inspire, and celebrate Black-owned businesses.  The first event for this year is scheduled for February 2nd. For more information and to register, click HERE. 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

In response to COVID-19, governments and agencies at various levels have instituted protections for both residents and small businesses.  Things such as eviction moratoria rental assistance programs continue to be extended and modified, but it’s sometimes hard to keep track of them all.  Local attorneys have created a helpful guide… 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

There is a wealth of legal and scholarly information in HeinOnline – one of the resources you can access from the Remote Databases page of our website.  It’s chock full of law review journals, historical documents, 50-state surveys, and much more. Have you never used it?  Now is your chance… 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

Washington State’s 24th Annual Biz Fair is going virtual.  Current and aspiring small business owners in Washington State are encouraged to attend this all-day online event to learn about all aspects of small business management, including human resources best practices, packaging and pricing services, selling online and the basics of… 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

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families is looking for help in identifying youth who will age out of or have aged out of Extended Foster Care at age 21, between March 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. The Department of Commerce: Office of Homeless Youth is seeking… 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

Without public debate or a formal hearing on the topic, the Washington State Supreme Court decided last month to end the Limited Licence Legal Technician (LLLT) program.  The June letter ends a program that broadened access to legal representation and served as a model for other states across the nation.   Please… Read more