Did you know?
This funding supports services to 50,000 low-income Washingtonians every biennium.
Overview
The General Legal Aid Program is OCLA’s largest and longest-running initiative. It funds Washington’s largest statewide legal aid provider—the Northwest Justice Project—as well as 20 regional and specialty legal aid organizations through a partnership with the Legal Foundation of Washington.
This funding supports a coordinated network of legal aid programs that serve low-income Washingtonians across all counties. Services funded through the General Program address a wide range of civil legal needs, including:
- Family law – divorce, child custody, support, and protection orders
- Housing law – eviction prevention, foreclosure assistance, and tenant rights
- Public benefits – access to programs such as Social Security, Medicaid, food assistance, and unemployment insurance
- Education law – support for students facing barriers to education, including students with disabilities
- Consumer law – assistance with debt collection, fraud, and bankruptcy
The General Program provides a foundational framework and infrastructure for the delivery of civil legal aid services statewide. By providing consistent statewide support, the program helps facilitate the delivery of legal services aligned with the Legislature’s directive to promote equitable access to civil legal aid for low-income individuals and families.
Darren’s Story: A Legal Win for Income Security.
Darren suffers from complex medical conditions that cause severe disabling symptoms. He came to Benefits Law Center (BLC), a small non-profit law firm that provides free legal services to people with disabilities, when he learned his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application was denied. Darren had already missed the appeal date because he was unhoused and did not receive the notice in the mail. Despite these challenges, BLC took Darren’s case and advocated for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to reconsider the denial and filed an appeal when the application was denied a second time. A BLC attorney reviewed thousands of pages of medical records, submitted a written argument, obtained supporting materials from his medical providers, and ultimately argued on Darren’s behalf at a court hearing. Darren now receives monthly SSI payments. SSA also awarded him over $35,000 in “back pay” for the SSI payments he should have received from the date he applied. Darren had a complicated case, and without the legal expertise, time, and dedication of BLC for over two years, Darren would not have received his SSI benefit, a critical form of economic security that helped him secure housing and move out of homelessness.
Program History
The Washington State Legislature created the Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) in 2005 to administer and oversee the use of public funds for civil legal services. In doing so, the Legislature affirmed that “the provision of civil legal aid services to indigent persons is an important component of the state's responsibility to provide for the proper and effective administration of civil and criminal justice.”
Although OCLA was established in 2005, state funding for general civil legal aid services predates the agency and became its first area of oversight. This funding stream now forms the foundation of the General Legal Aid Program.
The program is funded through appropriations made by the Legislature and administered pursuant to RCW 2.53.030, which directs that services be provided to indigent individuals through qualified legal aid programs. The statute outlines required areas of service, mandates broad geographic access, and assigns OCLA responsibility for oversight and accountability in the use of these public funds.
In 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court published its comprehensive Civil Legal Needs Study (CLNS), which highlighted the scope and severity of the civil justice gap experienced by low-income individuals and families across Washington. In response, the bipartisan Legislative Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee developed the Civil Justice Reinvestment Plan (CJRP) in 2016—a roadmap for expanding access to civil legal aid and achieving “minimum access,” a nationally recognized benchmark for meeting basic legal needs.
From 2017 through 2020, the Legislature responded with consistent and significant increases in civil legal aid funding. These investments acknowledged the value and impact of legal aid services and enabled OCLA to expand the General Program’s reach. OCLA continues to advocate for sustained and increased funding to fulfill the state’s commitment to providing meaningful access to justice for all low-income Washingtonians.
Who We Fund
Legal Aid Network Partners
The General Legal Aid Program supports a network of qualified legal aid providers that deliver civil legal services to low-income individuals and families across Washington State. These organizations provide a range of legal services aligned with the priorities set by the Legislature and are located in or serve every county.
The network includes both statewide and regionally focused organizations, as well as programs that specialize in specific areas of civil law.
News & Reports
The Justice Gap: The Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans
Published by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), this national report highlights the extent to which low-income individuals face civil legal problems without access to legal help. Read the full report here: Justice Gap Research | LSC - Legal Services Corporation: America's Partner for Equal Justice