Interested in a volunteer opportunity that provides litigation experience and lets you use your skills to help jobless workers? If the answer is yes, we invite you to an upcoming training for pro bono volunteers of the Unemployment Law Project.
This two-hour session by phone—scheduled for Thursday, August 20, from 12:00 noon to 2:30 p.m.—will provide you with the basics of unemployment law and the hearing process and brief you on how to represent a client who is appealing a denial of unemployment benefits. The training is useful for new attorneys and for attorneys experienced in unemployment law and/or hearings who wish to have a refresher.
Following this session, we normally ask new volunteers to observe a couple of hearings by our staff attorneys to become familiar with the process; then you would be ready to take a case of your own. We can provide any assistance you would like as you develop your arguments and prepare the claimant for the hearing.
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Washington’s unemployment program is now paying benefits to hundreds of thousands of claimants. At the same time, however, tens of thousands of claimants who have been denied benefits wish to appeal.
The Unemployment Law Project (ULP) is a primary resource for these claimants. We represent clients at hundreds of hearings each year and volunteers to assist us with hearings are becoming more essential each day.
It’s fulfilling work, and there is a side-benefit: Pro bono volunteers receive one hour of CLE credit for each hour they provide legal services through ULP, which is a Qualified Legal Service Provider. You can fulfill 24 hours of the 45-hour CLE requirement with pro bono work.
We welcome your participation in our pro bono program. Please contact Erin O'Brien at erin@ulproject.org if you would like to sign up for the August 20 training.