Hello, Daily World readers! I am grateful to be guest-writing this month’s Justice in Motion column. Although this column usually focuses on specific legal issues, I recognize many of you might not know me. As such, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself.

To start, I am a Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) licensed legal intern at the Northwest Justice Project (NJP)/Aberdeen office. I recently graduated from the University of Washington School of Law, and I have applied to sit for the February 2019 Washington State bar examination.

I am also a proud Grays Harbor native. I grew up in Aberdeen and graduated in 2011 from Aberdeen High School with my associate degree from the Grays Harbor College Running Start program. Two years later I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and returned to Aberdeen. I serendipitously found employment as a legal assistant at the NJP/Aberdeen office and worked there for approximately two years before attending law school and returning to Aberdeen for good.

Our community played a pivotal role in my decision to pursue a legal career and return home to Grays Harbor after graduation. Although from the outside some may think Grays Harbor does not have much to offer, my life experiences in this community were impactful in influencing both my decision to return home and who I have become more broadly as an adult.

Growing up, I was fortunate to have teachers and mentors who gave me opportunities to contribute and lead and empowered me to trust in my own potential. Their support and encouragement along with my deeply held belief that law is one of the most promising ways to effect positive change for those who need it most are what inspires me to give back to the community as a lawyer.

I am grateful my current role at NJP will allow me to fulfill my goal of giving back in a number of meaningful ways. Because NJP/Aberdeen is a small office, I will be a generalist, meaning I will be working on all the types of cases meeting our eligibility criteria and case priorities. My current case assignments include family law; landlord-tenant and manufactured housing; tribal wills; driver’s license reinstatement; vacating criminal convictions; and juvenile record sealing. In addition to casework, I contribute to our office’s outreach efforts by collaborating with partner agencies and conducting presentations to educate the public about various legal issues.

During the next year, I look forward to contributing to this column and using my expertise to better inform the community about these and other issues. Current issues of interest include homelessness and affordable housing, government benefits, and access to healthcare.

As a product of this community, I too am deeply invested in its well-being and success going forward. I hope my words and perspective on these issues connect the experiences of other community members and help us to come together as friends and neighbors to make a meaningful difference for the lives of the most vulnerable.

I close with one of my favorite sayings, an African proverb, “If you wish to go quickly, go alone. If you wish to go far, go together.” I wish to go far with you to strengthen our community. I am excited and humbled to be back in Grays Harbor working at NJP — it is good to be home.

To find out if you are eligible for Northwest Justice Project services:

For cases including youth (Individualized Education Program and school discipline issues), debt collection cases and tenant evictions, please call for a local intake appointment at (360) 533-2282 or toll free (866) 402-5293. No walk-ins, please.

For all other legal issues, please call our toll-free intake and referral hotline commonly known as “CLEAR” (Coordinated Legal Education Advice and Referral) at 888-201-1014, Mondays through Fridays 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. If you are a senior, 60 and over, please call 888-387-7111; you may be eligible regardless of income. Language interpreters are available. You can also complete an application for services at nwjustice.org/get-legal-help. Be sure to also check out our law library at: www.washingtonlawhelp.org.