Justice For All
Letters to the editor/social media posts: Write your own, or borrow from the language below.
Let’s make sure there’s justice for all
I am deeply troubled by a newly released study (2015 Washington Civil Legal Needs Study Update) that shows Washington’s poorest residents don’t have equal access to the civil justice system.
People who struggle with employment discrimination, housing problems or who need advice about divorce or a family legal issue ought to have access to a lawyer. It’s not fair to have a system in which the only people who get lawyers are those who have the ability to pay.
We will not have justice in our state unless everyone – no matter who they are – has equal access and representation in our courts.
New study highlights serious issues for Washington’s justice system
A new study based upon research by Washington State University (2015 Washington Legal Needs Study Update) finds that low-income people in our state face a growing number of civil legal problems, including problems accessing health care, government benefits and safe housing.
In fact, it finds that 7 in 10 of our state’s low-income households face at least one civil legal problem a year. And most people face them alone, without a lawyer’s help.
This is happening because Washington has just one state-funded legal aid lawyer for every 10,783 low-income residents. That’s fewer than half of the state-funded legal aid lawyers than the minimum set by federal standards.
Washington is a progressive state. We’ve led the nation on raising the minimum wage. Surely, we can make sure that everyone has equal access to our justice system, regardless of his or her ability to pay.
More than 500,000 Washingtonians lack civil legal representation
A new report contains troubling findings about our state’s justice system. The 2015 Washington Civil Legal Needs Study Update finds 71% of low-income households face at least one civil legal problem every year and many people face many more.
Also disturbing, the report points out that 100% of low-income Washingtonians who have been a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault have civil legal problems. And yet, Washington has just one state-funded legal aid attorney for every 10,783 low-income residents.
We cannot just accept this. Please tell our governor and legislators that we need to invest in legal aid. There is no such thing as justice for some. There’s justice for all or for none.
No right to a lawyer in civil cases, unless we make it so
The U.S. Constitution guarantees that anyone facing criminal charges has access to legal representation. I recently learned that this right does not extend to people facing civil legal problems.
In fact, here in Washington, many low-income families are left to face serious legal problems –including job discrimination, bad credit and eviction without any help or advice.
Surely, Washingtonians’ access to justice shouldn’t hinge on their ability to pay. And yet that’s exactly what’s happening in our state, where there is just one state-funded legal aid lawyer for every 10,783 low-income residents.
Let’s come together and find more private and state dollars to support legal aid. It’s only right.
Low-income Washingtonians need help with their legal issues
I have the privilege of working as a legal aid lawyer (or other title) in (name of city). During my X years in this job, I’ve met some amazing clients and their families.
My colleagues and I have been able to help moms get themselves and their children out of an abusive home. We’ve worked with clients who faced eviction and homelessness. And we’ve stood up for employees who have suffered discrimination on the job.
Unfortunately, Washington does not currently have enough legal aid lawyers and assistants to meet the growing need. I worry about the more than 500,000 Washingtonians who face serious civil legal problems every year all on their own.
Please support legal aid, if you have the financial means, and ask our elected leaders to support this work with additional public dollars. It’s important for every family in Washington to have fair access to justice.
More than a half million Washingtonians lack access to justice
There’s been a lot of talk in the national news about the need for criminal justice reform. Yet I recently learned of a new report based upon research by Washington State University that finds some of Washington State’s most vulnerable residents face serious civil legal problems, including problems related to housing, health care and employment.
The 2015 Washington Civil Legal Needs Update Study also found certain groups, including low-income Native Americans and African Americans, victims of domestic violence, persons with disabilities and LGBT youth experience pervasive discrimination related to these issues.
I believe Washington State is better than that. Let’s have an honest discussion about what we need to do to make sure low-income individuals and families have equal access to justice through legal aid and other means.
Washington suffers from a “Justice Gap”
More than 500,000 Washington men, women and children who live in poverty suffer because they are unable to find help with civil legal problems. They are denied healthcare, harassed by debt collectors and harassed on the job.
Low-income persons of color, victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, persons with disabilities and youth experience even higher rates of these kinds of legal problems. And yet, they face such problems alone, without the benefit of any legal advice or representation.
There’s a growing “Justice Gap” in Washington State that must be closed. Many of us have the means to hire a lawyer, if we need one, to sort out whatever family, employment or other civil legal issues we may face. But if you’re poor in Washington, you likely do not get the help you need.
Surely, access to justice should not depend upon what you have in your bank account. Please support legal aid and ask our elected leaders to do the same.
Shouldn’t we all have equal access to justice?
I ran across a stunning statistic recently. Did you know that Washington State has just one state-funded legal aid attorney for every 10,783 low-income people?
Should we care about that? You would if you were one of the more than 500,000 Washingtonians facing a serious civil legal problem but cannot afford an attorney. You could be a young mother trying to protect her kids from an abusive spouse. You could be a veteran fighting to get the benefits to which you’re entitled.
Why should we all care? Because this nation believes in the principle of “Justice for All.” Does justice truly exist if it’s only “Justice for Some?”
Think about it. And then do what you can to support increasing state funding for legal aid.
We can renew Washingtonians’ faith in justice
Twelve years ago the Washington State Supreme Court sponsored a study that discovered the low-income population in our state had serious civil legal problems that were not being addressed. These civil legal problems included safe housing, employment discrimination, bankruptcy and debt.
That report catalyzed a statewide effort to boost legal aid funding and to educate people about their civil legal rights.
And then the Great Recession hit and that effort lost steam.
The newly released “2015 Washington State Civil Legal Needs Study Update” reveals the number of problems low-income individuals and families face are growing and more and more people are facing their problems alone. People have lost faith that the justice system can serve them or their families.
The solution? Washington needs to more than double the number of state-funded civil legal aid lawyers. We need to build new and better ways to help people help themselves.
This state did it once. We tackled serious civil justice needs in our state. We can do it again.
Fightingpoverty means addressing people’s civil legal needs
Today in Washington State, 7 in 10 low-income households face at least one significant civil legal problem. These are the kinds of problems that affect people’s everyday lives and they include: eviction and landlord disputes, employment discrimination and denial of health care or government benefits.
And yet, a new report finds 3 in 4 of Washington residents living in poverty will not get the help they need to resolve such civil legal problems. The report, based upon research by Washington State University, also finds the number of civil legal problems faced by low-income Washingtonians is growing.
More problems. Fewer people getting help. In fact, Washington State currently has just 1 state-funded legal aid attorney for every 10,783 low-income residents.
The fight against poverty starts with addressing the civil legal needs of some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in our state. If you care about ending poverty, then please support legal aid.