Housing Justice Project 2014 Contact Information

HJP Seattle AM/PM HJP Kent

King County Courthouse Maleng Regional Justice Center 516 3rd Avenue 401 4th Avenue North Room W-314 Room 1281 Seattle, WA 98104 Kent, WA 98032 Clinic: 206.624.2117 Fax: 206.624.3117 Clinic: 206.205.8060 Fax: 206.205.8059 Rory O’Sullivan, Managing Attorney Maureen Roat, Senior Attorney/HJP Kent Office: 206.267.7019 Office: 206.205.8060 RoryO@kcba .org MaureenR@kcba.org Ellen Reed, Program Operations Harry Higgins, Program Coordinator Coordinator HarryH@kcba.org Office: 206.267.7029 Office: 206.205.8060 EllenR@kcba.org

Jacob Wicks, Staff Attorney 206-267-7060 JacobW@kcba.org

Name Contact Phone Number City of Seattle,

Dept. of Planning & Development Jim Metz, Housing Ordinance Supervisor 206.684.8600– General 206.684.7979– Jim

Court Interpreter Services

Martha Cohen, Manager Cheryl Spriggs (Kent)

206.296.3310 – Seattle 206.205.2519 – Kent 206.296.9358 – Voicemail

King County Sheriff - Civil Unit (Evictions) 206.296.3800

Legal Action Center Mark Chattin, Executive Director John O’Brien, Attorney

206.328.5943 - Mark 206.328.5937 – John 206.324.6890 - Main

Columbia Legal Services Merf Ehman, Staff Attorney 206.287.9651 – General

Northwest Justice Project

Eric Dunn, Attorney Margaret van Reuth, Attorney Steve Frederickson, Attorney Allyson O’Malley-Jones, Attorney Bridgette Murphy, Paralegal

206.464.1519 – General 206.464.0162 – Back Line x280 – Allyson x248 - Steve x234 – Eric x615 – Bridgette

Solid Ground

Pamela Calderon, Housing Stabilization Services

206.694.6767 – Tenant Counseling 206.694.6847- Stabilization Services

The Tenants Union Jonathan Grant, Executive Director

206.722.6848 – General x112 – Jon 206.725.3527 (fax)

National Manufactured Home Owners Association Ishbel Dickens, Executive Director 206.851.6385

Volunteer Responsibilities: New Clinic Policies and

Procedures

Ellen Reed Program Operations Coordinator

Housing Justice Project ellenr@kcba.org

Ellen Reed is the Program Operations Coordinator at the Housing Justice Project. She has a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to the Housing Justice Project, she helped to coordinate the Neighborhood Legal Clinics, also through the King County Bar Association. Previous to that, she worked as a paralegal in a public interest law firm and with a local non-profit called Hopelink. She has also done volunteer work with various non-profits, such as Legal Voice and East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. She currently serves on the Washington State Bar’s Limited License Legal Technician Board and the Highline Community College Paralegal Advisory Committee.

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Advising & Representing Low Income Tenants Facing

Eviction

January 31, 2014

SPECIAL THANKS to: Our Dedicated Housing Justice Project Volunteers

Our Host: Perkins Coie

HJP Supporting Organizations:

• Columbia Legal Services

• King County Bar Foundation

• King County Superior Court

• Legal Action Center

• Northwest Justice Project

• Seattle Foundation

• Solid Ground

• Tenants Union

• Snohomish County Housing Justice Project

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The Housing Justice Project is a volunteer based eviction defense clinic for low income residential tenants that provides high quality, same day legal

help including advice, negotiations, and representation for eviction hearings at the King County Superior Courthouses.

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LOCATIONS:

HJP SEATTLE HJP KENT

King County Courthouse516 3rd Ave., Room W-314Seattle, WA 98104

Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Maleng Regional Justice Center401 4th Avenue N., Room 1281Kent, WA 98032

Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

HJP P.M. (Seattle only) King County Courthouse516 3rd Avenue, Room W-314Seattle, WA 98104

Monday 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.4

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HJP BEHIND the SCENES

HJP has five staff members and a legal fellow:

• Rory O'Sullivan, Managing Attorney

• Maureen Roat, Senior Attorney/Kent

• Jacob Wicks, Staff Attorney

• Ellen Reed, Program Operations Coordinator

• Harry Higgins, Program Coordinator HJP/Kent

• Michele Hunter-Roberts, Legal Fellow and Rule 9 Intern

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HJP relies almost entirely on its dedicated volunteer attorneys and legal assistants

to serve our clients.

WHO WE SERVE

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• King County Residents• Tenants Only (No Homeowners)• Under 200% Federal Poverty Level

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WHAT WE DO

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HJP provides FREE legal assistance for eligible low income tenants facing eviction:

• Legal counsel and advice

• Help answering eviction paperwork

• Negotiations with landlords

• Representation at eviction hearings

• Referral and resource information

WHAT WE DO NOT DO

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Assist landlordsAssist commercial/business tenantsAssist tenants living outside King CountyAssist with non-eviction casesProvide on-going representationGive legal advice over the phone

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HJP VOLUNTEER DUTIES

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• Meet with residential tenants for counsel and advice

• Provide brief services in addition to counsel and advice including drafting pleadings or other relevant documents

• Negotiate settlements (with or without litigation)• Represent clients who are scheduled for an eviction show cause hearing on the day of their hearing

• Provide referrals and legal information resources

HJP VOLUNTEER TIME COMMITMENT

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Attorneys are asked to volunteer once per month for one year.

HJP Morning Clinic volunteer hours/locations:8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday)

King County Courthouse - SeattleMaleng Regional Justice Center - Kent

HJP PM Clinic volunteer hours (Seattle only):3:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Monday only)

King County Courthouse

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HJP VOLUNTEER TRAINING

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• Volunteers must attend the HJP Annual CLE or watch a previously recorded HJP Annual CLE

• Volunteers must complete 3-4 shadow sessions

• Shadowing volunteers work directly with HJP staff and senior volunteer until they are ready to take a case

HJP VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

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• Every clinic hour is supervised:Staff attorneys answer all legal questionsProgram managers answer all administrative questions & oversee legal assistants• Experienced volunteers and community partners may assist by telephone in complex cases

• FREE Lunchtime CLEs on HJP specific issues are offered bi-monthly

• Additional training opportunities coordinated by other Pro Bono Services programs are open to HJP volunteers when space permits

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EARN CLE CREDIT FOR VOLUNTEERING at HJP

Earn up to six pro bono credits each year see: APR 11 Regulation 103(f)

For more information on obtaining and reporting CLE credits for your HJP volunteering please visit:

http://www.kcba.org/pbs/pdf/WSBAPro Bono Credits Instructions.pdf

SERVICE IN 2013

• 1,615 households served

• 4,164 individuals served

• $291,977.16 saved for tenants by our pro bono attorneys in reduced judgment amounts

• 3,015.5 hours of pro bono service

• $753,787.50 worth of legal services donated to low-income tenants

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• Legal Assistants now scan in documents after every client visit so that all documents are available through our case management software, LegalServer. When possible, word documents such as letters and proposed stipulations will be uploaded as well.

• What this means for attorneys: Client files will be accessible for clients who may not have been to HJP for a long time, or who may have visited a different location previously. We may be able to pull applicable word documents from LegalServer so that you can (for example) download and modify a settlement offer made during the last client visit rather than re-typing it.

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NEW at HJP: PAPERLESS OFFICE

REMINDERS! • Please remember that when you sign a document on behalf of a client, we must do a Notice of Limited Appearance and Notice of Completion of Limited Appearance, serve them on the client and opposing counsel, and file them with the court.

• It’s very important that you complete your attorney notes before

leaving the clinic.

• If you want to refer the client to a partner organization, we must have the client sign a release of information.

• Be careful when explaining dismissals to clients; clients frequently make the mistake of thinking that if their case is dismissed, it is removed from the public record.

• Clinic staff can assist you in making referrals for clients to social service agencies. 16

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For additional information on Housing Justice Project, free legal services, and additional resources, please visit:

http://www.kcba.org/legalhelp/HJP/clients.aspx