NORTHWEST JUSTICE PROJECT
Northwest Justice Project is a state and federally funded legal services program and is part of the Alliance for Equal Justice.
CLEAR
CLEAR is Northwest Justice Project’s Coordinated Legal Education, Advice and Referral system. CLEAR is a toll-free telephone intake service for low-income people that provides free legal assistance with civil (non-criminal) problems to eligible persons.
CLEAR DV
CLEAR DV attorneys provide legal advice and possible referral to a local legal services program. CLEAR DV is a callback system that provides domestic violence/sexual assault advocates around the state with a way to refer their most compelling and difficult DV and/or sexual assault cases directly to a CLEAR DV attorney.
CLEAR
and
CLEAR DV
CLEAR and CLEAR DV assists clients that are both are low-income and must fit within income and other eligibility guidelines.
CLEAR attorneys may assist clients with many civil legal issues. CLEAR DV clients have a civil legal issue that stems from domestic violence or sexual assault of the client or the client’s child.
Although CLEAR DV is part of the CLEAR intake system, CLEAR DV functions differently from the rest of CLEAR system. Clients served by CLEAR initiate contact with the program by calling a hotline. Clients do not directly initiate contact with CLEAR DV. Instead, DV/SA advocates refer cases directly to CLEAR DV by faxing a CLEAR DV referral form and all documents relevant to the case.
Neither CLEAR nor CLEAR DV attorneys provide extended representation to clients. If additional assistance is necessary and available, we will refer the client to an agency in her area for additional legal services.
CLEAR DV
HELPS CLIENTS AND ADVOCATES
CLEAR DV provides legal advice to low-income clients who have civil legal issues that stem from or relate to domestic violence or sexual abuse perpetrated against the client or the client’s child.
In instances where legal resources are scarce in the client’s local vicinity, CLEAR DV attorneys may provide additional legal assistance as determined on a case-by-case basis.
CLEAR DV is able to assist clients with limited English proficiency. Several members of CLEAR DV speak Spanish. For clients who speak a language other than English or Spanish we are able to use an interpreter service.
CLEAR DV attorneys are also a resource for DV/SA advocates. We can consult about cases, discuss aspects of the law, or talk with advocates about recurrent issues they see coming up in their work or geographical region. We also provide trainings to advocates as part of our ongoing outreach efforts.
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT WITH CLEAR DV
Once we receive the referral form, the Administrative Coordinator will contact the client to schedule an appointment by telephone with one of the CLEAR DV attorneys. The attorney will call the client. The appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday during business hours.
Usually appointments are set at least a day in advance. However, we have some capacity to accommodate extremely emergent calls that need a same-day response.
If the client is unable to get an appointment for the following the day or if the situation is emergent and cannot wait for a callback, the client should be encouraged to call the regular CLEAR hotline.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Betty Cabrera, Legal Assistant
1-888-201-1012, extension 352
Hilary Hibbeln, Attorney
1-888-201-1019, extension 229
Josefina Ramirez, Attorney
1-800-562-8836, extension 17
Michelle Maddox, Attorney
1-888-201-1012, extension 223
* * *
CLEAR 1-888-201-1014
CLEAR*Sr 1-888-387-7111
TTY 1-888-201-9737
The CLEAR lines are open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. M-F
Free legal information is available at www.washingtonlawhelp.org
NORTHWEST JUSTICE PROJECT’S
CLEAR DV
Coordinated Legal Education, Advice, and Referral - CLEAR
FREE LEGAL SERVICES