Dedicated to Allyship
As I have shared in previous articles, KCBA and I are dedicated to active allyship — a meaningful exchange of interests and resources. We will keep learning, allowing for brave spaces where compassion and vulnerability are expected. We are champions of inclusion who share our space of privilege and amplify the voice of those with lived experiences of oppression and exclusion. It is our mission to achieve diversity in the legal profession and excellence in the judiciary, and we are committed to calling out barriers to meaningful access to justice. We are interrupters of overt bias.
In honor of “walking the talk” I have committed to sharing this space and amplifying the voice of others seeking access to justice. In December’s Bar Bulletin my co-author was Michele Storms, Executive Director of the ACLU. I look forward to doing so again with Disability Rights Washington, Q Law Foundation, and others. Whom would you like to hear from in this space?
The staff and volunteers serving the KCBA Neighborhood Legal Clinics (NLC) comprise another active and tangible expression of allyship. Serving others requires us to reconcile the internal and systemic issues our clients and their communities have experienced, sometimes for generations. Allyship takes time and deepening our understanding requires us to consider the impact of systemic exclusion and oppression on our clients. Becoming an ally and working for change also requires spending time considering how we may, or may not, have perpetuated systemic exclusion. This can be intimidating and requires both compassion and bravery. Thank you, staff and volunteers!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of KCBA’s NLC program and I am very much looking forward to recognizing your good work and collaborating to evolve our Pro Bono Services to help increase inclusivity not just within King County, but also in our greater communities.
The first NLC was founded in 1974 at the Country Doctor Medical Clinic by Joseph Gaffney, Phillip Cutler, and Joseph Murphy. It was a joint project of South King County Bar Association, KCBA Lawyer Referral Service, and CHOICE Churches. The Country Doctor Medical Clinic, our host partner, was founded only a few years previously by a group of activists from the Seattle Black Panther Party. Today, KCBA, our members and volunteers, and partner nonprofits support over thirty clinics providing limited legal advice and consultation. While the advice may be limited, the impact will be long lasting and transformational.
This article is also a call for action. If you are not currently volunteering, please consider joining us. We are also asking our members to help us create tangible means to achieve KCBA’s continued commitment to allyship. What might this look like in the coming year? We are extremely interested in learning more from you about why you volunteer or why you do not.
Finally, NLC also looks forward to hosting an event to celebrate volunteers and those involved in the program in Autumn 2024. In the interim, you can look forward to Bar Bulletin articles highlighting this program, such as this month’s PBS Spotlight on page one.
