The Campaign for Equal Justice is hosting a Vancouver Beer & Justice fundraising event to support civil legal aid for low-income families in Clark County.
The event is being held from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Heathen Brewing Feral Public House, 1109 Washington St., and will include a short program.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and Loren Etengoff and Mila Boyd, local board members from the Campaign for Equal Justice, will discuss the importance of civil legal aid programs.
In addition, Ed Dawson, a longtime volunteer attorney with the Clark County Volunteer Lawyer Program, will talk about his work on the Housing Justice Project and his monthly Spanish-language legal clinic.
Beer and appetizers will be provided, and there will be a chance to donate at the event. To RSVP, contact Eleanor@LegalFoundation.org.
Although the U.S. Constitution mandates that people who cannot afford an attorney in a criminal case be appointed one, there is no constitutional requirement for legal assistance in civil cases. Civil legal aid serves survivors of domestic violence, people facing wrongful evictions, terminations or insurmountable health care debt, consumer fraud cases, and assists veterans, seniors or people living with a disability.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Campaign for Equal Justice and the Legal Foundation of Washington, which funds civil legal aid for low-income families statewide.
Last year, the Legal Foundation provided grants to 23 legal aid providers and funded legal aid for 30,000 low-income families. The Clark County Volunteer Lawyer Program is the local grantee.
