In Conversation with Eastside Legal Assistance Program

COLUMN > PRO BONO ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTH

Q&A WITH VIVIAN LEE, ELAP LEGAL DIRECTOR

Q. Tell us a bit about the history of your organization. What is your organization’s philosophy? Why do you do what you do? 

The Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) believes that everyone deserves access to legal help. For 35 years, we have been a nonprofit dedicated to working with people facing domestic violence, housing, financial, health care, immigration, and other issues that need a legal solution. We also educate communities about their legal rights. We work for free to solve legal issues and provide resources for our community members because not everyone can afford a lawyer.

Q. Where is your organization located? Do volunteers participate remotely, in person, or both? 

We serve people in King County, especially the east and south parts of the county. Our volunteers participate primarily remotely, with the exception of our in-person wills/estate planning clinics.

Volunteer attorneys significantly increase the number of people ELAP can help every year. We offer volunteer opportunities at our multiple monthly clinics and opportunities to provide more extensive services including full representation.

Q. Who does your organization serve? 

We work with individuals and families in our region who can’t afford a lawyer, including domestic violence survivors, tenants, veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, and immigrants. We provide legal services through our staff attorneys and through our clinics, which are staffed entirely by pro bono volunteers.

Q. What are the biggest barriers your clients face in accessing legal assistance? 

The high cost of market rate legal services and difficulty navigating the legal system.

Q. What area(s) of law do you provide services in? 

• Debt and bankruptcy
• Domestic violence
• Employment and workplace issues
• Family law, guardianship, divorce, and custody
• Housing and eviction
• Immigration
• Wills and estate planning

Q. Does your organization provide training, CLE credit, or other benefits to volunteers? 

Yes, we provide training for volunteers and occasional CLE credit courses. We also regularly share resources about other trainings and pro bono-related resources.

Q. Please provide an (anonymous) client story—an example of someone who was helped and how. 

Sandy (name changed to protect privacy) already had a lot on her plate. She was caring for her disabled husband, overseeing the well-being of her sister in a nursing facility, and ensuring her adult autistic son’s needs were met with his caregiver. 

When she needed to get her son out of an unhealthy living situation, she was surprised to end up in a dispute with her son’s landlord, who had been a good and honest landlord. 

“I never even thought that I needed legal assistance until I realized that the landlord did not intend to refund me the $6,400 that was due to me,” Sandy says.

Sandy had paid the first and last month’s rent plus security deposit when her son and his caregiver had moved into the rental. She gave notice three months prior to the end of the lease and her son and his caregiver vacated two weeks later. Out of the security deposit, Sandy paid for professional house cleaning, grounds maintenance, and other costs the landlord asked for. Sandy accepted the security deposit refund amount without any argument, even paying some back utilities that were not her responsibility. 

Sandy paid the second to last months’ rent on the 1st, as the landlord told her she must, before learning that the house had already been re-rented. After discovering this, Sandy asked for the two months’ rent refund ($6,400). The landlord responded that she “might” give Sandy $1,500 after the new tenant paid his second month’s rent.

Frustrated, after waiting three more weeks, Sandy searched online for legal services and found ELAP. She connected with ELAP housing stability attorney, Cloie, who started reviewing all the documents.

“It was such a huge relief,” Sandy says about finding ELAP. “Even though I can read the lease and I thought I had a decent grasp of what the law said, I didn’t know for sure. I didn’t want to be the person who was not following the law or the terms of the lease. So, having an attorney say, ‘Yes the landlord owes you,’ was a tremendous help.”

The landlord paid promptly after receiving Cloie’s email that affirmed Sandy’s legal rights to the $6,400 rent refund. 

Sandy adds, “She was a good landlord, and I felt bad having to break the lease, but my son’s health and well-being come first.”

“I was extremely surprised that there was an organization such as ELAP that was available. I thought it was going to cost an arm and a leg to dig my way out of this one. I feel very, very grateful—and Cloie was an extraordinary help.”

Q. What does a typical weekly or monthly commitment look like for a volunteer? How many hours? How many clients? 

Between one and three hours per month, serving an average of one to three clients.

Q. What do volunteers say they enjoy most about serving clients through your organization? 

“In a lot of cases, knowledge is power. Knowledge of the law can allow people to find direction or solve a problem. As an attorney in an ELAP clinic, you have 45 minutes with a client and can often address their issues and put their mind at ease. It’s good to see people being able to check off a worry. Sometimes you can answer a critical question that is in the way of them moving forward.”
~ Ken Davidson, ELAP pro bono volunteer

“A lot of times people just want to be heard. They just want to be listened to, to feel like someone is taking the time to understand where they’re coming from.”
~Max Goins, ELAP pro bono volunteer

Q. Are you currently in need of volunteers? If so, how can legal professionals reach out to get involved?  

Yes, we have a high need for pro bono volunteers! Please visit www.elap.org/pro-bono to learn more and fill out our easy online application.

Q. What gaps in our existing system(s) does your organization fill? 

ELAP is filling a huge gap in the need for legal aid services in King County. We are one of the only nonprofits in the region that provides free services for a variety of legal issues.

Q. What would you most want readers to know about the type of work your organization does and the type of people who need your services? 

The majority of people ELAP serves are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), women, veterans, people with a disability, seniors, and people under age 35. Nearly half are domestic violence survivors. ELAP’s work touches thousands of people in King County every year. 

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