Columbia Legal Services (CLS)

Columbia Legal Services is grateful for the contributions of dedicated volunteers. Past volunteers include attorneys, law students, and other people interested in being part of our work. If you are interested in joining us as a volunteer, please contact us.

https://columbialegal.org/get-involved/

MISSION

Columbia Legal Services advocates for laws that advance social, economic, and racial equity for people living in poverty.

VISION

A Washington State in which every person enjoys full human rights and economic opportunities.

VALUES

• Community. Our work is directed by the communities we serve. We contribute our legal knowledge and skills to support initiatives that are identified by the community to enhance the community’s power.
• Race Equity. We hold ourselves accountable to principles of race equity and human rights. Through our community-led legal advocacy, we hold government agencies, institutions, and other actors accountable to address the root causes of racism and their manifestation in unfair treatment and inequitable access to resources, power, and opportunities based on race.
• Justice. We believe that to achieve justice, all communities should have a voice in the creation and implementation of the policies, laws, and legal systems that impact them. We believe that our legal system must be held accountable by the people most impacted by it.

UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION

Through community-led movement lawyering and a systemic approach, we are supporting communities and movements by bringing deep legal expertise that is grounded in – and strongly guided by – an understanding of race equity.