WAACO Volunteer Attorney Michelle Bomberger and WAACO Client Doug Mercer, Executive Director, OurPolis.org.
Serving Washington’s Legal Community
Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations provides screened, discrete, pro bono business law opportunities for our volunteer attorneys.
WAACO provides Washington’s legal community with business transactional pro bono matters. We welcome and encourage volunteer participation from business, transactional, tax, intellectual property, real estate, and employment attorneys licensed in Washington State who want to assist nonprofit organizations on a pro bono basis on non-litigation matters and counsel microenterprise entrepreneurs in a clinical setting. We welcome the participation of emeritus attorneys and attorneys in corporate law departments. We provide malpractice insurance to licensed attorneys who do not have coverage through a law firm on a per matter basis.
Nonprofit Representation
WAACO screens nonprofit organizations to assure their eligibility for pro bono legal services. We then refer the matters to volunteer attorneys to handle in accordance with our volunteer guidelines. WAACO does not serve in an attorney-client relationship with the client nonprofit organization; that relationship is between the volunteer attorney and the client nonprofit organization.
Microenterprise Legal Clinic
WAACO hosts Microenterprise Legal Clinics in two different locations. In Seattle, WAACO co-hosts a monthly Microenterprise Legal Clinic on the second Tuesday of every month, with Washington C.A.S.H (Community Alliance for Self-Help). In Federal Way, WAACO co-hosts a quarterly Microenteprise Legal Clinic with StartZone. Washington C.A.S.H. and StartZone provide education and support needed to launch and manage small enterprises. Volunteer attorneys are matched up with 1 or 2 microenterprise entrepreneurs and meet with them for 1-2 hours. The attorney reviews the microenterprise business plan with the microentepreneur and counsels the client on legal issues such as choice of entity, employee/independent contractor, contracts, intellectual property and other issues. WAACO needs Spanish-speaking volunteer attorneys for our Microenteprise Clinic. If you are Spanish-speaking, and want to volunteer, please contact us.
CLE Training
WAACO also provides CLE training on a variety of legal topics.
We encourage attorneys to review Why Volunteer? , Volunteer Guidelines. To volunteer go to Volunteer Now.