Alliance Supporters :: Alliance for Equal Justice

• Providing financial support and accountability
• Educating policy makers and the public about the importance of civil legal aid
• Fundraising
• Strategic planning and advice
• Technical support
• Communications support

Access to Justice Board In response to a growing need to provide continuity and focus for the access to justice efforts in Washington, the Access to Justice Board was established by the Washington State Supreme Court in 1994 at the request of the Washington State Bar Association. The ATJ Board works to achieve equal access to the civil justice system for those facing economic and other significant barriers by coordinating the efforts of the Alliance for Equal Justice, and through the work of its twelve standing committees.

Campaign for Equal Justice (C4EJ) The Campaign for Equal Justice is the civil legal aid community’s united effort to raise charitable contributions from the private bar and beyond for Washington’s more than 30 legal aid programs. The Campaign eliminates competition for funding between legal aid programs and simplifies giving by ending donor confusion over which deserving program to support.

Equal Justice Coalition (EJC) A standing committee of the Access to Justice Board since 1995, the Equal Justice Coalition supports the Alliance through educating policymakers and the public about the importance of civil legal aid to our communities and advocating on behalf of people with low incomes for sufficient public funding for legal aid in Washington.

Justice in Jeopardy Initiative (Coalition of Justice System Partners) The Board for Judicial Administration (BJA) spearheads the Justice in Jeopardy Initiative, the most direct and cohesive effort ever undertaken to substantially alter and improve court funding in Washington. A natural progression of the BJA’s 2002 Court Funding Task Force, the Justice In Jeopardy Initiative is a coalition of justice system partners focused on increasing state and local funding for our trial courts, civil legal aid, and our public-defender systems.

Legal Foundation of Washington (LFW) Created by the Washington Supreme Court in 1984, the Legal Foundation of Washington supports the Alliance by funding programs and supporting policies and initiatives which enable the poor and the most vulnerable to overcome barriers in the civil justice system. LFW administers IOLTA funds and charitable support from the Campaign for Equal Justice to over 30 programs through its annual grant process.

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) The Legal Services Corporation provides funding to each state based on the number of people living in poverty, as well as grants for legal assistance to Native American and migrant farm worker communities. Congress created LSC in 1974 to provide financial support to non-profit organizations that provide civil legal aid to low income people throughout the nation. The Northwest Justice Project is the sole recipient of LSC funds in Washington.

Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) Created by the Legislature in 2005, the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) is an independent judicial branch agency that administers and oversees the use of state funds appropriated by the legislature for civil legal aid. OCLA contracts with the Northwest Justice Project (NJP) to help underwrite NJP’s regional client service offices, the statewide CLEAR client intake system, the statewide legal services self-help website, advocacy coordination and training for legal aid advocates throughout the state. The Office of Civil Legal Aid is overseen by a bipartisan Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee.

Washington Association of County Law Libraries County law libraries in Washington State were established in 1919 to provide access to legal information to the courts and the bar, and also to the public in counties which have the staff available. It is their collective mission to provide the best possible service to their communities, by connecting people to the information they need to effectively participate in the justice system. County law libraries strive to serve as a community access point for legal information and support those civil legal aid organizations who are actively involved in representing those in need.

Washington’s Law Schools Students and faculty at the law schools of the University of Washington (Dean Gregory A. Hicks), Seattle University (Dean Kellye Y. Testy), and Gonzaga University (Dean Earl Martin) are a valuable resource for Alliance members and their clients. Programs such as Seattle University’s Access to Justice Institute, University of Washington’s William H. Gates Public Service Law Program, and the Gonzaga Center for Law and Justice play a crucial role in ensuring continued commitment to access to justice in Washington by instilling a passion for public interest law in young lawyers.

Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) The Washington State Bar Association is an important supporter of legal aid. WSBA is home of the Pro Bono and Legal Aid Committee. It also staffs and administers the Access to Justice Board in its headquarters in Seattle. WSBA has a proud history of supporting equal justice for everyone in Washington State.