For client information please visit Community Legal Services’ Free Legal Assistance.
Program Overview
The Housing Justice Project (HJP) is a homelessness prevention program providing accessible, volunteer-based legal services to low-income, residential tenants facing eviction in King County. Legal assistance is provided through counsel and advice, negotiated settlements, limited representation at Show Cause hearings, and/or referrals depending on tenants’ needs and financial eligibility.
HJP has morning walk-in hours at offices in the King County Courthouse (Seattle) and Regional Justice Center (Kent), both located near the respective Ex Parte Department. HJP PM has afternoon hours on Mondays and Thursdays in Seattle only in Room West 314 of the King County Courthouse.
HJP is managed by Community Legal Services at the King County Bar Association with co-sponsorship from Northwest Justice Project, Legal Action Center, Solid Ground, Columbia Legal Services, and the Tenants Union.
Volunteer Positions, Expectations, and Commitment
HJP legal assistant volunteers are generally paralegals, law or graduate students, or others considering law school. (See below for required training.) Responsibilities include opening and closing the respective project office, conducting client interviews (intake), providing administrative support and limited research for volunteer attorneys, and interacting with courthouse staff. Volunteers must be comfortable working with clients from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds as well as those with mental health issues.
Legal assistants are asked to make a 6-month commitment to volunteer for one morning or afternoon shift per week. Morning volunteer hours are weekdays from 8:00am to 12noon in the Kent and Seattle HJP offices. HJP PM volunteer hours are Mondays and Thursdays in Seattle only from 3:45pm to 6:00pm in Room West 314 of the King County Courthouse.
HJP attorney volunteers come from diverse areas of practice and varying amounts of experience in landlord/tenant law. Note: New attorneys must have a WSBA number and card before volunteering. (See below for required training.) Attorneys volunteering in the morning work with residential tenants to provide advice, brief service, negotiation with landlords’ counsel, and may choose to offer limited representation to clients who are scheduled for an eviction show cause hearing on the day of their visit. Attorneys volunteering for HJP PM provide only advice and brief service to residential tenants. For clients requiring on-going pro bono assistance, attorneys may volunteer to take cases but are not obligated to do so. Volunteers must be comfortable working with clients from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds as well as those with mental health issues.
Attorneys are asked to make a once per month, one-year commitment. Morning volunteer hours are weekdays from 8:30am to 11:30am in the Kent and Seattle HJP offices. HJP PM volunteer hours are Mondays and Thursdays in Seattle only from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in Room West 314 of the King County Courthouse.
HJP mentoring attorneys are experienced housing law practitioners. They are available by phone during office hours for mentoring of HJP attorney volunteers in the absence of the HJP staff attorney.
NOTE: At this time, HJP Kent has a greater need for volunteers than HJP Seattle.
Training and Support
All volunteers must either attend a live training/CLE or watch a previously recorded training/CLE. Following the initial seminar, volunteers will be scheduled for three or four shifts of on-site training. During this period, volunteers will work directly with HJP staff and/or experienced volunteers until they are comfortable working individually with clients.
The Housing Justice Project provides continual mentoring and support for volunteers. HJP staff are generally available for questions by telephone during HJP hours when they are not present at the HJP office. Additionally, supplemental training opportunities coordinated by other Community Legal Services programs are open to HJP volunteers space permitting.
To view up-coming training opportunities with this and other programs, visit our Free Trainings for Volunteers page.
Benefits of Volunteering
The Housing Justice Project is a discreet volunteer opportunity allowing busy professionals to make a valuable contribution to the community, gain practical skills, and earn CLE credits.
HJP volunteers experience an increased appreciation for the human element of the law playing a direct role in the dismissal of unjust eviction cases, negotiation of reasonable settlements for renters facing difficulties in a tight housing market, and education of tenants regarding their rights and responsibilities under the law.
Volunteering provides a forum for networking with other professionals, building client interaction skills, and gaining confidence in working with the court system. Volunteering with HJP is an excellent way for attorneys wishing to strengthen negotiation skills or to spend more time in court to accomplish their goals.
Additionally, attorneys can earn Continuing Legal Education credit for the initial CLE as well as for pro bono activity in the same calendar year as the CLE. Malpractice insurance is provided in addition to the malpractice insurance maintained by a volunteer and/or their firm (which serves as the volunteer's primary insurance). KCBA provides volunteers with secondary malpractice insurance for all case work performed under the umbrella of HJP.
Ready to volunteer?
To begin volunteering, complete and return the appropriate application (available above) to CLS@KCBA.org with the subject HJP Volunteer. Be sure to note your office of preference, availability, and desire to mentor in the case of mentoring attorneys. The program manager/paralegal for your preferred site will contact you with information about the next opportunity for training.
For questions about HJP Kent, contact Sandi at 206.267.7056.
For questions about HJP Seattle or HJP PM, contact Yurij at 206.267.7028
To view up-coming training opportunities with this and other programs, visit the Community Legal Services’ Free Trainings for Volunteers page.
The Writ – HJP Quarterly Newsletter
The Housing Justice Project is a homelessness prevention program providing accessible, volunteer-based legal services to tenants facing eviction in King County.