As we celebrate the 50th year of KCBA’s oldest pro bono program, Neighborhood Legal Clinics (NLC), it feels pertinent to shine a light on those who link the program and the public together: the NLC intake and referral team.
The NLC client intake and referral process is relatively straightforward. Our team of volunteer interns and staff screen applicants for program eligibility and record appointment data in a client database. New this year, prospective clients can opt to apply through an online intake form on the NLC website, which streamlines the intake process by collecting most of the necessary information ahead of time. Those who prefer can also apply via voicemail. From the application queue, interns and staff can see whether a client will need interpreter services or other accommodations, their preferred callback times, etc., and can then call the client to schedule them for an appointment with a volunteer attorney. As a team, NLC tries to be as accommodating as possible to ensure the program is accessible regardless of barriers like language, disability, or computer literacy.
Eligibility requirements vary between clinics, but usually a client must live in or have a dispute in King County and the legal issue must be a civil legal issue. When a client is eligible, the intern or staff member schedules the client for an available clinic appointment at one of our over thirty clinics. When a client is not eligible for the NLC program, and/or when there are additional resources which could provide more support, the client is given referrals to other law-related agencies in the community. Similarly, interns and staff refer clients to other KCBA programs, such as the Records Project, Family Law Programs, and Housing Justice Project when applicable.
In the past six months, the NLC program has expanded and added a new staff member: The NLC Client Services Coordinator. The position mainly supports the NLC client intake & referral process by recruiting/hiring interns, performing administrative tasks, and making intake calls. Since starting the position, NLC has recruited seven new interns, making a total of fourteen interns and four staff members who schedule over 2500 client appointments per year. Team members have a variety of different life experiences but are linked by the common goal of limiting the barriers people face while seeking legal aid.
For example, when asked what drew her to the program, Varsha, one of NLC’s interns replied, “I was really drawn to the impactful nature of the work that the NLC program does. I strongly believe that everyone, regardless of their economic situation, should be able to get the legal help that they need to make the best decisions for their case. I strongly believed in the NLC program’s mission, and wanted to get involved in any way that I could.” In addition, when asked what her favorite part of the internship was, Varsha said, “engaging with King County residents — hearing people’s stories and legal challenges has opened my eyes to the many barriers that exist to accessing adequate legal support. Moreover, many clients I have spoken to have expressed feelings of not being heard previously about their challenges, and have felt a lack of support from those they have tried to receive help from. During the intake process, I definitely wanted to make sure that these clients knew they were being heard, that their challenges were very important to us, and that they got connected to the appropriate channels of support within the scope of NLC to address their needs.”
The intake process is much more than just eligibility screening and making phone calls. Through the intake process, it is important to make sure clients know they are being heard and that they have agency and control throughout their legal process. NLC helps make that possible.
Karla Martinez is the Neighborhood Legal Clinics Client Services Coordinator.
