Eastside Legal Assistance Program
Esperanza@elap.org

Esperanza Borboa is the Program Director at Eastside Legal Assistance Program based in Bellevue, WA, serving the civil legal needs of low-income residents of NE, East, and SE King County. Her work in the field of civil and human rights stretches back to the late 60’s in East Los Angeles. Marching to end the Vietnam War and protesting the conditions in her high school were the catalyst for a lifelong commitment to justice. She was a leader at El Centro de la Raza for fifteen years, working with farm workers, youth, and expanding our understanding of how we are connected to struggles from around the world. She was a Community Fellow at M.I.T. and worked to further develop the youth leadership model that helped launch the creation of the Institute for Community Leadership in Kent, WA. She was the Program Administrator for Seattle Universities Executive Leadership Program and then the Pastoral Leadership Program. During that same period, she fulfilled a lifelong dream to go to college and received her B.A. in History. Esperanza took part in the Consensus Group to revise the State Plan for the Coordinated Delivery of Civil Legal Aid and is an active participant in the Race Equity and Justice Initiative. She is a graduate of the Leadership Academy and Seattle University's Executive Leadership Program. Esperanza was recognized for her work and leadership by receiving the 50th Anniversary Human Rights Award, United Nations, Seattle Chapter, and the Weyerhaeuser, Keeping the Dream Alive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Award. She is married with four adult sons, four grandsons, and one very feisty granddaughter. Si Se Puede!

Gonzaga University School of Law
jj@jeremiahbourgeoisconsulting.com

Jeremiah Bourgeois is a journalist, legal scholar, formerly incarcerated person, and matriculating law student. In 1992, at age 14, he became one of the youngest children in the United States to receive a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole and the second youngest person to receive this sentence in the history of the State of Washington. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Miller v. Alabama (2012)—in which the Court declared that imposing mandatory sentences of life without parole on juveniles violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment—Jeremiah was resentenced to an indeterminate term of twenty-five years to life, which made him eligible for parole.

Jeremiah’s story, which has been featured on Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole, illustrates how he committed himself to higher education notwithstanding a sentence that meant he would die behind bars. Through independent means, he earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and criminology, graduating magna cum laude. He also utilized his education to tutor prisoners working to earn their GEDs and became an advisor to the University Beyond Bars, a non-profit that enables prisoners to obtain a college education in the Washington Department of Corrections.

Jeremiah began writing about what he experienced and witnessed within the prison system, first on the Minutes Before Six blog, then in media outlets such as Truthout.org, and eventually as a regular contributor to The Crime Report, a multimedia criminal justice news and resource site based out of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Jeremiah also began publishing articles and commentaries in law journals such as the American Journal of Criminal Law. He is the only prisoner to obtain membership to Scribes—The American Society of Legal Writers. In 2018, Jeremiah’s legal commentary critiquing the parole board’s practices resulted in a hearing in the Washington State Senate. Before being freed, the Washington State Court of Appeals adopted his legal analysis in a landmark decision which ended the unlawful confinement of prisoners serving sentences for crimes committed when they were children.

Since being freed, Jeremiah has committed himself to highlighting injustice and fighting for reform through Beyond the Blindfold of Justice, a legal advocacy project he created in collaboration with the Renton-based nonprofit Freedom Project. Jeremiah is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal organization empowering Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work and in their community. He continues to use his writing and his voice to advocate for those who have fallen victim to mass incarceration, highlight the difficulty of reentry, and illuminate the personal challenges he had adjusting to society.

Seattle Office for Civil Rights
mike.chin@seattle.gov 

Mike serves as the Civil Rights Enforcement Manager at the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) and is responsible for enforcing Seattle’s civil rights and anti-discrimination laws in employment, housing, public accommodations, and contracting. Under his leadership, the Enforcement Division’s work has shifted to a more preventative and proactive community-centered approach to civil rights enforcement by providing training and technical assistance, conducting fair housing and employment testing, offering restorative mediation, engaging in outreach and public engagement, case investigations, and coordinating the City’s Title VI Program. Mike and his team’s accomplishments include implementing Seattle’s first labor standard laws (which later became the Office of Labor Standards); providing fair chance employment and housing protections for individuals with criminal history; and establishing new public accommodation protections such as the all-gender restroom, ban on conversion therapy to minors, and closed captioning requirements. Before joining SOCR, Mike was an investigator for the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

As a certified mediator with the Washington Mediation Association, Mike mediates for the Seattle Federal Executive Board, Interlocal King County Dispute Resolution Program and serves on the City of Seattle Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Board. Mike is a member of the citywide Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) Core Team 4 and former RSJI Change Team member, which addresses racial equity in city government. Mike received his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from Gonzaga University School of Law and his degree on Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Gonzaga University in 2006.

Born in Moscow, Idaho, Mike’s father is an immigrant from Jamaica and mother a second-generation Chinese American. Mike enjoys travelling, food, learning about cultures, exercising, practicing mindfulness, spending time with family, and reading. Mike lives with his partner, Germán Gornalusse and with their Chow-Golden Retriever mix Osito on Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Washington
fred_corbit@waeb.uscourts.gov

Frederick P. Corbit is the Chief Bankruptcy Judge for Eastern Washington. Previously, Fred practiced law in Seattle at the Northwest Justice Project (NJP). At NJP, Fred handled consumer protection cases, including Klem v. Wash. Mut., 176 Wn.2d 771, and was a member of Washington’s Collection Agency Review Board and the Governor’s Task Force on Homeowner Security. Prior to 2007, in private practice, Fred handled scores of pro bono matters, continuously volunteered at debt clinics, produced numerous publications for those who cannot afford an attorney, and successfully advocated for needed changes, including new laws that expanded debtors’ exemptions. Fred frequently lectures on legal matters, has published numerous articles in legal journals, has taught bankruptcy law at Seattle University, and served as a member or chair of several WSBA sections and committees. Fred received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from UCLA.

Peninsula Community Health Services
bfelix@pchsweb.org

Brynn serves as General Counsel at Peninsula Community Health Services, a federally qualified health center, where she has developed a Medical Legal Partnership to connect patients with legal services. Prior to joining PCHS, she served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Justice Mary I. Yu of the Washington Supreme Court and was a litigator at a law firm in Seattle. In addition to her legal career, Brynn has served as a classroom teacher and civil rights policy advocate.

King County Superior Court
David.Keenan@kingcounty.gov 

Judge Keenan previously worked in civil practice on numerous pro bono matters, representing detained immigrants, prisoners, and other marginalized communities. Judge Keenan served as Board President at Northwest Justice Project, President of the Federal Bar Association, and as a member of the Board of TeamChild and the Seattle Community Police Commission. Judge Keenan also spent nearly 15 years in law enforcement, working full-time as a federal agent while attending law school. Judge Keenan was raised by his mother on public assistance, was arrested and charged as a youth, and dropped out of school after repeated suspensions, later earning his GED.

Colville Tribal Courts
jane.smith@colvilletribes.com

Jane M. Smith has served in Colville Tribal Courts for over 41 years as an administrator for both the trial and appellate courts. She has been with the Court of Appeals for 25 years. She has been a tribal judge since 1994. She is the past president of the Northwest Tribal Court Judges Association and the National American Indian Court Clerks Association. She was appointed to be one of four lay committee members on the original WSBA Practice of Law Board, where she served for eight years. She was on the Gender & Justice Committee for two terms, and she served on the Disciplinary Board for the WSBA. She was on the Fall Judicial Planning Committee for several years as the tribal representative. She is currently a Justice of the Colville Tribal, Tulalip, Quinault Nation, and Spokane Tribal Courts of Appeals. She has served as a pro tem/appellate judge for several other northwest tribal courts. She is a member of the Colville Tribal Bar Association. She developed the Court Reporting system currently in use by the Colville Tribes Court of Appeals for publishing its opinions. She is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation and is a second-generation tribal judge. She has one dog and two kitties, loves time spent with family and friends, camping, photography, watching sports, and good food. She enjoys doing beadwork and other crafts.

Northwest Justice Project
michelle.lucas@nwjustice.org

Michelle Lucas joined the Access to Justice Board in 2017. She is the Managing Attorney for the Northwest Justice Project's Eviction Prevention Unit. Previously Michelle served as the Associate Director at the Tenant Law Center and as a Staff Attorney at Sexual Violence Legal Services of the YWCA where she provided civil legal assistance to survivors of sexual assault. She clerked for Judge Michael Downes of the Snohomish County Superior Court, and prior to that worked in social services with the City of Seattle and Solid Ground, focusing on seniors and people with disabilities. Michelle spent several years as a volunteer domestic violence victim advocate with the Seattle Police Department Victim Support Team, and is a current volunteer with KCBA’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics. Michelle received her Juris Doctorate from Seattle University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.

University of Washington School of Law
tprice@uw.edu

Terry Price is an Associate Teaching Professor and the Executive Director for Graduate Education at the University of Washington School of Law. Terry teaches Family Law, Administrative Law and Constitutional Law. He has also taught health law courses for more than fifteen years, including Mental Health and Law, Beginning of Life: Rights and Choices, Legal Issues at the End of Life, and HIV and Law, and also Family Law. As Executive Director of Graduate Education, he is responsible for the management and curriculum for LL.M., Master of Jurisprudence and Ph.D. students, and for advising current and prospective students about their academic paths. Prior to joining the law school, Terry was Senior Policy Counsel for the Washington House of Representatives Democratic Caucus, where he advised members about issues related to the House Judiciary, Public Safety and Early Learning/Children's Services committees. For 2017-18, Terry was the President of the QLaw (LGBT) Foundation Board of Washington and he was a 2006 Washington State Bar Association Leadership Institute Fellow. Terry also has a Master's in Social Work and worked as a clinical social worker in pediatric oncology and neonatology prior to entering law school.

Tacoma Healing Awareness Community
253thac@gmail.com

My name is Vanna Sing, a 43 y/o genocide survivor from the country of Cambodia. My roots are from Southeast Asia, Kingdoms of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. I was raised in Salishan, Eastside of Tacoma from 1981 – 2004. Raised through poverty, disparities, racism, lack of positive role models and opportunities to heal and thrive. Baptized at 8 years old by the Church, Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and then raised Buddhist. I believe that being spiritual saved me. I was chosen by my ancestors. My family crossed many borders just so I could be here today. I am here because I survived a lot of the atrocities and traumas. Education was not a priority to me because attending school was a struggle. During middle school years was where it started for me. Being faced with racism by your neighbors and classmates taught me how to stand up for myself. I was coping by skipping school and running away from home. My parents did not know what I was going through nor did they understand. They were trying to adapt to the American lifestyle themselves and still struggling. Learning survival skills was very necessary for SE Asians in Tacoma. There was no mentorship for young people, employment opportunities, encouragement to stay in school or support during a crisis. There were more recruitments into jails and prisons than college pathways. SE Asians were also racially profiled, over sentenced, many have criminal records, struggle with recidivism and final deportation orders. We were taught that we don’t have a choice. My community is in decline because we were not given too many options. The people do not have faith in the criminal justice system. They continue to destroy and separate families.

At age 36, I learned that I was a community leader. Unlearning what I was taught growing up has been the most challenging but at the same time, exciting. I never imagined in my whole life that I would be here with you all, sharing the struggles of my community. I am humble and grateful for this opportunity. Using my transferable skills I was in a position to create a 501c3 nonprofit, Tacoma Healing Awareness Community. We disrupt the cycle of systemic/internalized oppression in SE Asians as well as other ethnic groups in Tacoma and surrounding communities. Our vision is to empower and support youth, families and individuals in need by providing tools and resources. We collaborate with community agencies/leaders to heal, reconcile and restore justice to marginalized communities at risk for systemic/internalized oppression. Our grassroots organization needs an attorney with a criminal justice background to serve on our board, reliable volunteers, grant writers to help get funding and nonprofit experts to help create the right structure. Please consider joining our team if our mission and vision resonates to your soul.

Chief Equity and Justice Officer
206-727-8205
dianas@wsba.org

Diana Singleton (she/her) is the Chief Equity and Justice Officer at the Washington State Bar Association, where she provides support and leadership for the Washington State Bar Association’s work to advance equity and justice. She leads the Equity and Justice Department which manages the WSBA’s public service and diversity, equity and inclusion work and provides support and partnership to the Washington State Access to Justice Board, the Council on Public Defense, the WSBA Diversity Committee, the WSBA Pro Bono and Public Service Committee, the WSBA Equity and Disparity Workgroup and the Minority Bar Association leaders. She previously served as the Director of Seattle University School of Law’s Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) which serves as a bridge between the law school and larger equal justice community. Prior to joining ATJI, Diana was an attorney with the Northwest Justice Project for almost ten years, practicing in the areas of consumer, family, low-wage worker, and public benefits law. Diana serves on the Board of Communities Rise which offers transactional pro bono assistance to nonprofit organizations and low-income small business owners, and JustLead Washington which offers capacity-building services centered on leadership development, race equity and collaboration. She is a proud alumna of Seattle University School of Law, Westmont College, and the Washington Equal Justice Community Leadership Academy.

Equity and Justice Lead
bonnies@wsba.org

Bonnie (she/her) is the Equity and Justice Lead at the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), providing staff support to the Access to Justice Board and WSBA’s Council on Public Defense. Bonnie brings with her two decades of experience in project management, event planning, communications, volunteer management, and nonprofit administration. Bonnie has a Masters in Public Administration from Seattle University and a B.A. from Willamette University. Bonnie is a graduated of the Washington Equal Justice Community Leadership Academy.