Eleven graduates of Seattle University School of Law will receive mentorship and financial assistance for one year as they build legal practices to serve moderate-income clients. They are part of the law school's innovative Low Bono Incubator Program, which launched in 2014.
A low bono practice offers reduced-fee legal services to clients who can't afford a full-price attorney but also don't qualify for indigent aid. The Access to Justice Institute developed the incubator program in order to build the next generation of lawyers working to expand access to legal services. The program also features regular CLEs, hosted at the law school, that are free and open to all solo and low-bono attorneys.
Stan Perkins '85, a successful personal injury attorney, provides funding for the incubator positions and mentorship for the new attorneys.
The 2017 participants offer a wide array of legal services, including intellectual property protection, estate planning, and assistance for veterans.
Katrina Brede '14 launched POV Legal Services to serve moderate-means artists and other clients who need assistance with intellectual property and entertainment law issues. A former media producer, Brede has a unique understanding of the legal needs of artists, nonprofits, and small businesses.
Abra Conitz '14 founded Conitz Law PLLC to help clients in eastern King County and other underserved areas with education and family law issues. A former elementary school teacher, Conitz is focused on helping children with special needs receive the educational resources necessary to succeed regardless of family income.
Cindy Zetts '13 began her solo practice firm, Cynthia Zetts Law PLLC, in Covington, Washington, to provide estate planning, guardianship, probate, and elder law services primarily to low- and moderate-income seniors. Zetts operates a mobile law office, which can be invaluable for elderly clients.
Shane McKinnie '13 initiated McKinnie Law PLLC to provide criminal law, landlord-tenant, and estate planning services to moderate means clients. McKinnie, who is a veteran, is particularly focused on making legal services more accessible to veterans.
Lorelei Munroe '13 and Roxana Florea '14 teamed up to form Florea Munroe Law, a firm dedicated to providing high-quality legal services to clients by offering full, unbundled, and low bono representation. Their firm specializes in family law, elder law, estate planning, collaborative law, mediation, and probate.
Jessica Lewis '16 and Elena Yager '16 started a non-profit law firm, Northwest Advocacy Foundation, to provide legal services to moderate-means clients in the areas of family law and landlord-tenant law. Their dedication to serving low- and moderate-income clients was honored when Eastside Legal Assistance Program named them both fellows in November 2016.
Naomi Strand '10 recently founded Northwest Community Legal Advocates as a Washington non-profit serving moderate means clients, after practicing for years with an impressive list of legal services organizations in the Seattle area. Strand works closely with her clients to address their legal issues in a broad range of areas including criminal defense, Social Security disability, immigration, and family law.
Cameron Buhl '15 and Erin Lecocq '15 launched Infinitum Legal Counsel, P.S., a non-profit firm based in Pierce County, to provide committed and compassionate advocacy and make access to justice possible for moderate-means, low-income, and marginalized communities. They offer legal services to clients in the areas family law, child welfare defense, estate planning, and select employment law and criminal misdemeanor matters.