|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday,
September 24, 2007
| Contact: |
Marti
Maxwell, Court Administrator, 360-786-5559 |
|
Scott Douglas, Thurston-Mason Volunteer Legal Clinic,
360-705-8194 |
Low Income
Landlords and Tenants to Receive Legal Assistance
OLYMPIA
– Starting next
month, certain landlords and tenants will be eligible to receive free legal
help when they have disputes before Thurston County Superior Court.
Thanks to pro-bono assistance from the Thurston and Mason County
Volunteer Legal Clinic, low income eligible parties may now have
representation from an attorney when they appear on the Unlawful Detainer
Calendar.
Under the new program, an announcement regarding the legal assistance
will be made when the court convenes at 10 AM each Friday.
A staff person from the Legal Clinic will help decide who is eligible
for representation and those clients can then meet with counsel.
Scott Douglas with the Clinic says a lot of people have come together
to make the service available. “We’ve
seen a great response from the legal community in support of the Housing
Justice project. The judges and
court personnel at Superior Court have been very helpful and supportive of our
efforts, and we have had more than three dozen volunteer attorneys and legal
professionals sign up to provide legal assistance to low-income clients with
housing law issues.”
Douglas
says legal assistance can really be important for people who cannot afford an
attorney and have housing-related issues before the Court.
“The involvement of a volunteer attorney in cases like this can make
the difference between whether a client becomes homeless or not, and can
really help clients protect their future ability to find rental housing, as
well as their credit history.”
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham says the program has
the potential to reduce the time spent in court by both landlords and tenants
providing a benefit to both parties and the court itself.
"This project would not have been possible without the support of
the private bar and the many lawyers who are willing to donate their time and
expertise. It's gratifying to see
how many people in this community support access to justice for all members of
the community."
The free legal assistance will be offered for the first time on the
Unlawful Detainer Calendar the morning of Friday, October 5th.
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