Transcript Document

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Eliminating Bias in
the Justice System
A CALL TO ACTION &
SERVICE
Access to Justice &
Bar Leaders Conference
2011 ORIENTATION
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The Event
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Each year, those who are engaged in and support civil equal
justice for our state’s poorest and most disadvantaged
communities gather at the Annual Access to Justice
Conference to learn, build community, tackle difficult
problems and renew their commitment to equal justice for all.
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Each year at the Bar Leaders Conference, past, current, and
future bar leaders and members network and meet to discuss
emerging trends and best practices. Of importance are the
efforts to promote diversity amongst bar leadership and bar
programs, and usher in the next generation of leaders.
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The Joint
Conference
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Legal aid’s “Annual Meeting”
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Facilitated by the Access to Justice Board & Conference
Planning Committee
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Plenary Session moderated by Judge Steven González, Chair
of Access to Justice Board
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Roundtable Discussion with Washington State Supreme Court
and WSBA Board of Governors
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Keynote by Luis Fraga, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty
Advancement at The University of Washington
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Access to Justice Conference
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Networking & Learning
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Must Do of the Conference?
Sunday plenary- Navigating the Bias Minefield: Framework and Tools
LAW Fund President’s Party- tonight at 8!
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Why are we here?
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Bar Leaders Conference
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Networking
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
Meet new colleagues.
Meet the Bar leadership.
Meet other Bar leaders.
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Hear more about the Efforts of the Governors
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Celebrate
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LAW Fund President’s Party
Lunch
Receptions
Logistics of “two tracks”
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2009 Poverty Rates in Washington
 According
the to the 2010 US Census 27%
of Washington residents live at 200%
below the federal poverty level
 $22,350
for a family of 4
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What is Legal Aid?
 Domestic Violence
Victims
 Predatory
Lending
 Wrongful
Evictions
 Unsafe
Living
Conditions
 Class
Action Lawsuits
 Immigrant
Rights
 Farmworker
Justice
 At-Risk Youth
 Wage Theft
 Rights Violations
 Securing
Benefits
Survival
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Civil Legal Aid Makes the Difference:
Homelessness
Shelter
Abuse
Safety
Hunger
Food on the Table
Loss of Livelihood
Economic Stability
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BUT: Washington has a Justice Gap
Three out of four
low-income people face at least one urgent legal problem
each year.
Only one in five
low-income people with serious legal problems will be
helped.
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Increased Need
Decreased Resources

Requests for legal assistance have skyrocketed since 2009:

Unemployment Benefits
1458%

Bankruptcy

Disability Lifeline

Food Stamps

Federal Disability Benefits
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Domestic Violence Advocacy
248%
608%
1483%
310%
191%
While
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Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts
75%
+ Legal Foundation of Washington
IOLTA Revenue
$10,000,000
$9,000,000
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$-
+ In 2010
60,000 +
250,000 +
= 300,000 +
70,000
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Washington's network of civil
legal aid providers and
supporters.
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Alliance Members/Providers

Volunteer Lawyer Programs
(more than 20)
 Northwest
Immigrant
Rights Project

Center for Justice
 Open
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Columbia Legal Services

Law school clinics
 TeamChild

Legal Action Center
 Unemployment

Northwest Justice Project
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Northwest Health Law
Advocates
Door Legal
Services
Project
 Seattle
Center
 Solid
Law
Community Law
Ground
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Alliance Supporters
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•
•
•
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Access to Justice
Board
Campaign for Equal
Justice
Equal Justice
Coalition
Justice in Jeopardy
Initiative
Legal Foundation of
Washington
Legal Services
Corporation
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•
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Office of Civil Legal
Aid
Washington State Bar
Association
Washington
Association of County
Law Libraries
Washington Law
Schools
Washington State Bar
Association
Washington Supreme
Court & Judiciary
+ Why so many Organizations????

Adaptation: The process whereby a population becomes better
suited to its habitat. This process takes place over many
generations.
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It works: We don’t want anyone to slip through the cracks
Washington State Supreme Court
Federal
Legal Services
Corporation
(LSC)
$
Access to Justice
Board
Equal Justice
Coalition
State
Office of Civil
Legal Aid
(OCLA)
$
Northwest Justice
Project
Hub of Legal Aid System:
17 offices, CLEAR legal aid
hotline, washingtonlawhelp.org
Washington State Bar
Association
IOLTA
Charitable
Legal Foundation
of Washington
Campaign for
Equal
Justice/Endowme
nt for Equal
Justice
$
and other efforts
$
Volunteer
Lawyer
Programs
Specialty
Legal Aid
Programs
Funding
Partners:
local government,
special purpose
grants, community
action programs,
etc. to individual
legal aid programs
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More than 70,000 Families and Individuals Struggling to Survive
Poverty While Facing Urgent Legal Problems
+ Funding for Legal Aid in
Washington
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How can I help?
 Learn
More: allianceforequaljustice.org
 Volunteer
and Get Involved: wsba.org/atj
& advocateresourcecenter.org
 Advocate
 Donate!
for Equal Justice: ejc.org
Campaign for Equal Justice: c4ej.org
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What about the Bar & ATJ?
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Recognizing that access to the civil justice system is a
fundamental right, the Access to Justice Board works to
achieve equal access for those facing economic and other
significant barriers to the justice system.
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The Access to Justice (ATJ) Board was established by the
Washington State Supreme Court in 1994 at the request of the
Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors in
response to a growing need to coordinate the access to
justice efforts in Washington State to provide continuity and
focus.
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About WSBA
Washington State Bar Association has 27,846 active members,
55% of which are categorized as:
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1,151 that are involved
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7,607 that are section members
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6,644 who are “young” lawyers
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About WSBA & Diversity
WSBA and its leader are committed to the value of diversity and
from this conference a formal Call To Action will be created.
The latter will focus on:
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Education
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Public Dialogue
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Leadership
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Resources
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Communication & Mindfulness
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Becoming a Bar “leader”
Each member is a bar leader.
Leadership can take up many forms and starts with:
INVOLVEMENT
And an appreciation of the Bar’s goals of: enhancing culture of
service, strategic business of law practice & positive
management of the stress of law practice.
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Opportunity, Service &
Involvement
Each member of WSBA can join any of the following:

Standing committees
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Regulatory Boards
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Councils
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Panels
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Sections
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Task Forces
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Questions?
To find out how to get involved in WSBA, visit:
http://www.wsba.org/barleadershomepage.htm
For links to more resources, like the Civil Legal
Needs Study, the State Plan for Legal Aid Delivery,
and lots more…
http://www.allianceforequaljustice.org
+ Contact Us (BLC)
 Ciarelle “CJ”
Valdez: BLC Committee Chair|
[email protected]| 425.466.3905
 Stephen
Crossland: WSBA BOG President
Elect| 509.782.4418
 Paula
Littlewood: WSBA Executive Director|
[email protected]| 206.239.2120
+ Contact Us (ATJ)
 Amy
Spencer: Campaign for Equal Justice|
[email protected] | 206.957.6281
 Threesa
Milligan: King County Bar Pro Bono
Services| [email protected] | 206.267.7018
 Kellee
Spangenberg: Spokane County Bar
Volunteer Lawyers Program|
[email protected] | 509.462.3701