About Us

What we're all about...

1976 - Clark county bar association (ccba) started coordinating volunteer legal services
1979 - Services coordinated by Clark County, focus on full representation for family law
1982 - Expanded services to include other civil legal needs
1988 - Weekly advice clinic began
1990 - Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program (CCVLP) incorprated as 501(c)3 nonprofit
2004 - The first "homeless court" began under Judge Scott Anders
2006 - The first legal advice clinic was held in collaboration with YWCA CLark County's Safechoice Program
2010 - The first family law clinic was held in collaboration with Dept of children, youth and families
2010 - Housing Justice Project (courthouse-based eviction defense) began as a pilot program
2017 - Early Parenthood program began in collaboration with grads programs at local highschools
2017 - Lay Guardianship program began to assist non-professional guardians
2017 -First LatinX Legal Day held to support legal needs of undocumented community members
2020 - The first paid attorneys joined the staff (until now, only non-attorney administrative staff) to oversee volunteers and provide some direct representation in employment and domestic violence law
2021 - developed eviction defense unit (right to counsel for tenants in evictions), including staff attorneys and legal assistants
2022 - Launched Court Navigator program to support and accompany unrepresented folks as they navigate the court.
2022 - Expanded Survivor Support Program to include two staff attorneys and a dedicated legal assistant
2023 - With the support of Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, we began the groundwork for our Indigenous legal services program, and hired our first employee for that work: a program manager.
2024 - Expanded survivor support program to include a managing attorney and 2 staff attorneys. The program also began taking non-intimate partner sexual assault cases.
2025: With funds from the Murdock Trust, we welcomed a Donor Engagement Officer, our first employee dedicated to fund development and donor relationships.

Mission Statement

Providing and facilitating access to justice in Clark County for low-income individuals and marginalized communities through advocacy and civil legal services.

Vision Statement

We want a legal system that is accessible, fair and community centered.

What This Means

Low income clients with criminal matters are guaranteed public defenders if they cannot afford an attorney.

The same is not true for clients experiencing civil legal issues (like divorce, custody, or evictions). We aim to uphold the purpose of the law by empowering low income clients to truly utilize the justice system effectively.

The nature and depth of our work has grown over the years, but our priority continues to be ensuring equitable access to justice for everyone in our community.

Learn More About Our Services

We work hard to meet the need wherever we identify a gap. Check out how we’re facilitating access to justice through our direct services and partnerships with other community organizations.

Come work with us

Our team continues to grow every day. If we have an opening, you'll find it at the link below.

Meet Our Staff

Please note: Appearing on our website is completely optional for our staff. For that reason, the below does not fully represent our team. If you work closely with a beloved member of the CCVLP staff, and are worried because you don’t see them on the website- they have likely opted out.

Jessi Anderson

DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT

Elizabeth Fitzgearld

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & FINANCE

Amy Hernández

DIRECTOR OF HOUSING JUSTICE & EVICTION DEFENSE

Maria del Rocio Garcia Alcantar

Program Coordinator

Mia Demay

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Cassia Gehl

FAMILY LAW PROGRAM MANAGER

Check for Openings

Survivor Support Team

The Survivor Support program provides advice and representation to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. They support with civil protection orders, family law matters, and work in collaboration with YWCA Clark County to facilitate holistic services for survivors.

Blair Marsden

SENIOR PARALEGAL

Check for Openings

Marla Rapp

MANAGING ATTORNEY

Eviction Defense Team

The Eviction Defense team provides representation to low-income tenants in defense against evictions. They are appointed by the court under the statutory right passed by the Washington state legislature in 2021. This creates a right, to a free attorney for most low income tenants who cannot afford a lawyer in their eviction.