Legal Clinic
On the second Wednesday of every month from January-November, El Centro de la Raza hosts Free Bilingual Legal Clinics in our Centilia Cultural Center (1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival ST, Seattle, WA 98144) from 6:00-8:00 PM with intake from 4:00-6:00 PM. Volunteer attorneys from the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (LBAW) and many volunteer attorneys in the community staff the clinics, along with volunteer interpreters. Depending on the specific expertise of the attorneys at each clinic, they can provide 30-minutes consultations in the areas of immigration, personal injury, medical negligence, worker’s rights/wage claims, family law, criminal law, and property/landlord-tenant law. Please note that we may or may not have attorneys present at each clinic to address your individual legal matter.
Space is limited. Sign up for consultations is on a first-come, first-served basis in-person. The demand for legal advice is far greater than our capacity at the legal clinics. There is no guarantee you will be seen due to the volume of individuals who attend the clinic and the specific legal matter you have. If we do not have an attorney present to address the topic of your legal matter then you may not be seen.
Questions? Please call (844) 502-9832 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and a brief description of your legal issue. Staff will try their best to get back to you, but we only have a part-time staff person checking messages a few times per week so please be patient.
Need help? Contact us for more information!
Interested in volunteering? We rely on volunteer attorneys and volunteer interpreters to make the legal clinics a success.
- Non-Attorney volunteers (i.e., legal staff and law students) are needed for interpreting (Spanish) and conducting intakes. Law students who volunteer may choose to shadow an attorney. If you are able to volunteer as an interpreter or with intakes, please complete this form.
- Attorneys are needed for consultations in all areas of the law including the following:
- Immigration
- Family Law
- Consumer & Finance (includes Creditor/Debtor issues)
- Landlord-Tenant
- Criminal
- Personal Injury
- Employment
If you are able to volunteer as an attorney, please complete this form. If you have questions about volunteering, please email clinics@lbaw.org and clinics2@lbaw.org.
Program Managers
Jeanett Quintanilla, Legal Clinic Coordinator
Jeanett has her own consulting business that works with people in the legal field. She speaks Spanish and English, and works closely with clients who need access to legal advice and consultation at our free legal clinics.
Frequently Asked Questions
do i need an appointment?
No, we do not have appointments. The legal clinic is first-come first-served the day of each clinic. Intake is from 4:00-6:00 PM with our volunteers and then attorneys will select clients to meet with for 30-minutes between 6:00-8:00 PM based on the type of law they practice and each client’s legal matter. If we are not able to match you with an attorney then you will not be seen during the clinic. We do not know in advance what types of legal expertise we will have in the room, unfortunately.
What happens if I don’t get a consult during the clinic?
If you do not get a consultation at the legal clinic, that may be because there was not an attorney present with expertise in the type of law your legal matter requires. You are welcome to return to a future clinic. We also have a list of legal resources you can contact at your own risk. There is a huge demand for legal advice and legal services, so there is no guarantee that anyone on our lists will be able to help you.
What if I only need legal representation?
We do not provide legal representation. You can see our list of immigration attorney referrals here that you are welcome to contact at your own risk.
Partners
