Mission
Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations’ mission is to promote community development and organizational capacity-building in Washington State by assisting charitable and community-based nonprofit organizations and low-income microentrepreneurs to obtain free legal assistance on business-related matters.
What We Do
Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations connects nonprofit organizations and low-income microenterprise entrepreneurs in Washington State with attorneys who will assist them, pro bono (without a charge for their time), on business legal matters. WAACO also provides legal trainings to attorneys and the nonprofit community on topics related to nonprofits and microenterprise businesses.
Nonprofit Organizations
WAACO connects nonprofit organizations with attorneys for pro bono legal services. If you represent a nonprofit organization, find out if your organization may be eligible for free legal services through WAACO, and learn how to apply. WAACO connects nonprofits with attorneys and does not, itself, provide legal representation, and cannot guarantee that it can find a volunteer to help every eligible organization. The time between when we receive a fully completed application and you are matched with an attorney can vary from between a few weeks to a few months.
Microenterprise Businesses
WAACO provides free legal services to low-income microentrepreneurs. WAACO hosts free microenterprise legal clinics in two locations; Seattle and Federal Way. These clinics are in partnership with Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (Seattle) and StartZone (Federal Way), both nonprofits provide support to low-income microentrepreneurs. WAACO volunteer attorneys meet with low-income microenterprise entrepreneurs to spot legal issues and counsel them on legal issues and responsibilities with respect to their microenterprise business venture. Microenterprise entrepreneurs may qualify for “extended legal services” beyond the clinical consultation, if the attorney determines the venture is ready for legal representation.
Washington Attorneys
WAACO provides Washington attorneys with screened pro bono business law opportunities. Attorneys can volunteer to help a nonprofit organization with a discrete legal matter or counsel microenterprise entrepreneurs in a clinical setting. WAACO volunteer attorneys are licensed in Washington State with experience in business, contract, real estate, intellectual property, or tax matters, or with access to a mentor or supervising attorney with that experience. To find out how to volunteer click here.
Nonprofit Workshops and Continuing Legal Education Seminars
WAACO offers continuing legal education training (CLE) for attorneys and workshops for nonprofits on legal issues commonly facing nonprofits and microenterprise businesses.
What We Do Not Do
- Litigation Matters – WAACO does not provide assistance on litigation matters.
- Individual Claims against Nonprofits – WAACO does not provide assistance to individuals with their pursuit of claims against nonprofit and community organizations.
- Legal Matters for Individuals – WAACO does not provide assistance to individuals in their personal legal matters in areas such as family law, immigration, foreclosure, bankruptcy, etc.
- Legal Advice Over the Phone – WAACO does not provide legal advice over the phone. We are not a “hotline” service. We only provide legal assistance upon receiving a written application. However, we are available to answer questions about the application process over the phone.