If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our volunteers page for more information.

WHO WE SERVE

Legal Services for the Homeless (LSH) serve low-income homeless individuals in King County and individuals living in transitional housing in King County.

WHAT WE DO

Legal Services for the Homeless holds FREE legal clinics run by local law firms at homeless shelters in King County. Volunteer attorneys from these firms give shelter residents legal advice and referrals on a variety of legal issues.

The program may also find a FREE volunteer attorney for qualified homeless individuals with one or more of the following civil (non-criminal) legal issues:

• Bankruptcy – Chapter 7 only
• Consumer
• Criminal Records
• Debt Defense
• Defense to Lawsuit
• Employment
• Estate Planning and Wills
• Family (limited availability)
• Housing
• Public Benefits
• Real Estate
• Special Education
• Uncontested Guardianship

WHAT WE DO NOT DO

We cannot provide an attorney for representation with the following types of legal issues, but an attorney may be able to give advice at the legal clinics:

• Criminal
• Immigration
• Small claims
• Suing another person or business

WHERE, WHEN, and HOW TO REACH SERVICES

For shelter legal clinics, residents should contact shelter staff to make an appointment.

Shelter legal clinics (APPOINTMENT NEEDED):

• Aloha Inn
  Appointments are the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
  Appointments are available to residents only.
   
• Compass Center
  Appointments are the third Wednesday of every month from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
   
• Downtown Emergency Service Center
  Appointments are the last Thursday of every month from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  To schedule an appointment contact your case manager.
   
• Plymouth Housing Group
  Appointments are the third Wednesday of every month from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  Appointments are available to residents only.
   
• Seattle Emergency Housing Service
  Appointments are the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
  Appointments are available only for clients.
   
• William Booth Center
  Appointments are the third Tuesday of every month from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
  Appointments are available for emergency shelter and transitional housing clients.

To be screened for a volunteer attorney dial 211 from within Washington State or email CLS@KCBA.org with "Homeless" in the subject line.

For additional information call the Information and Resource Message Line at (206) 267-7055.

HOW TO PREPARE

• Make an appointment for a shelter clinic appointment.
• Gather all related paperwork.
• Decide on the desired outcome or goal.
• Identify all deadlines.
• Tell the intake screener or legal clinic volunteer about these deadlines.
• Be prepared to tell the history of your legal issue to the intake screener over the phone or at the legal clinic.

The mission of Legal Services for the Homeless is to eliminate barriers that homeless individuals face in accessing legal services through shelter-based legal clinics and direct representation to the homeless population of King County.