Other LanguagesAttorney General Ferguson organizing free legal clinic, space still available
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that his office will offer a free legal clinic on Saturday for Spokane-area military service members and veterans in need of help with completing a will or reinstating their driver’s license.
Attorney General Ferguson’s Office of Military & Veteran Legal Assistance (OMVLA) is collaborating with volunteer attorneys and community partners to offer the clinic from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Spokane County Regional Veteran Services Center.
Legal clinic services will be offered by appointment only and capacity is limited, so OMVLA encourages interested individuals to register to participate as soon as possible. Potential legal clinic clients and volunteers can get registration information for the event by calling 206-464-6431 or by emailing Assistant Attorney General Travis Alley at travisa@atg.wa.gov.
“Our military and veteran families deserve our appreciation and support, which is why we are helping them meet their legal needs,” Ferguson said. “We chose Spokane as the site of the first clinic because it has a significant military and veteran population. We look forward to doing many more of these free legal clinics around the state for service members, veterans, and their families. As someone who comes from a family of veterans, I am committed to standing up for individuals who have served our country.”
Saturday’s legal clinic is the first event of its kind coordinated by OMVLA.
A survey conducted by the Attorney General’s Office and data from other veterans organizations and agencies have identified help with wills and reinstating driver’s licenses as areas where veterans need legal assistance. While Saturday’s clinic will focus on those two areas, the Attorney General’s Office plans to offer clinics in the future covering a wider range of legal issues.
To qualify for services at the free legal clinic, military service members and veterans must live or be stationed in Washington, and meet certain financial eligibility requirements. More information about the clinic and other legal resources available here.
The Spokane County Regional Veterans Services Center, located at 1117 North Evergreen Road in Spokane Valley, opened earlier this year. It is operated by a public-private partnership between the county, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and WestCare Foundation. At the facility, veterans can receive emergency financial assistance for housing, utilities and food, as well as help with VA claims and benefits, education, employment and counseling.
OMVLA was created by Attorney General request legislation in the 2017 session to promote and facilitate access to civil legal services for Washington’s current and former military service members. Representative Christine Kilduff (D-University Place) sponsored the legislation. OMVLA is authorized to recruit and train volunteer attorneys, maintain a registry of available services and volunteers, assess requests for legal assistance and refer such requests to registered volunteer attorneys and legal aid providers.
The legal clinic is part of Attorney General Ferguson’s Military & Veterans Initiative, an ongoing effort to stand up for Washington’s military service members and veterans. It involves engaging and educating military service members and veterans about their rights and available resources, vigorously enforcing legal protections within the Attorney General’s authority, and promoting and facilitating access to civil legal services.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov