With the gracious support of the Latina/o Bar Association and the law office of Schroeter, Goldmark and Bender, 203 community members were provided free legal assistance. From May to October in 2008, every Wednesday evening, attorneys and volunteers came together to offer a much needed service to families and individuals seeking legal assistance.

Attorneys were able to help participants with a variety of issues including: Wage Claims, Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Immigration, Consumer and Finance, Family, and Workers Compensation. Over 60% of participants spoke Spanish and were able to receive interpretation assistance from El Centro volunteers. Gracias to Lorena Gonzalez for her excellent leadership throughout the clinics.

This service has been increasingly requested by our participants, as many are low-income, minority populations that are unaware of their rights and lack access to professional legal counsel. Knowing your rights is one of the first steps to empowerment and we are excited to be able to provide this service and further strengthen the voice of our beloved community members!

Legal Clinics for 2009 will be held once a month on Wednesday evenings from 6-8 pm on the following dates: April 8th, May 6th, June 10th, July 8th, August 12th, September 9th and October 14th. To volunteer for a clinic, please call 206.957.4602.