Our lawyers are committed to improving Washingtonians’ access to justice and strengthening our community through public service.  Some representative examples:

Pro Bono Practice

• King County Bar Association Records Project(https://www.kcba.org/?pg=The-Records-Project).  Via the The Records Project, GTTC lawyers assist individuals with the process of vacating eligible non-violent criminal convictions.  A vacated conviction is removed from background search services and gives clients the right to tell potential employers and landlords that they were not convicted of the vacated charge.  Clearing the record of such convictions greatly enhances the client’s ability to live a productive life, removing barriers to employment, education, and housing.
• Pro bono immigration counsel for family who fled El Salvador and is seeking asylum in the United States.
• Seattle Clemency Project (https://www.seattleclemencyproject.org/). The Seattle Clemency Project increases access to justice by matching people seeking early release from prison and those facing deportation due to old criminal convictions with free, high-quality legal representation.  Via the SCP, GTTC lawyers have represented individuals who were sentenced as juveniles, and been incarcerated for twenty years or more, in petitioning for early release in light of their growth and rehabilitation.
• Pro Bono Counsel for U.S. Department of State Hague Convention Attorney Network. The Department of State administers the Hague Convention Attorney Network to assist qualified low-income parents in treaty-partner countries.  Through this program, eligible parents find attorneys to bring cases on their behalf under the Hague Convention, which provides a civil mechanism for securing the prompt return of a wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained child to the child’s country of habitual residence.
• American Civil Liberties Union. Representing clients in collateral attacks on criminal judgments and criminal history expungement issues.

Community Engagement

GTTC lawyers serve on a wide variety of non-profit boards and devote substantial time to volunteer work.  The organizations that GTTC lawyers support have included:

• The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, which develops educational programs that align with curricular standards, available during in-school, after-school, and out-of-school hours, with a focus on the arts.
• Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club
• Board membership, including serving as President, of the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle
• Board of Directors, Legal Employers Advancing Diversity in Washington (LEAD-WA)
• Magnolia Little League
• Administrative Office of the Courts, Childcare Workgroup. The Childcare Workgroup was created pursuant to the directive from Senate Bill 5128 to “make recommendations for the creation of a childcare assistance program for individuals reporting for jury service. The purpose of the childcare assistance program was to eliminate the absence of childcare as a barrier to performing jury service.”
• Sound Experience. Sound Experience fosters environmental sustainability, youth development, and maritime careers with programs aboard the historic schooner Adventuress.  The Adventuress is a National Historic Landmark tall ship more than 100 years old.