Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) has hired three new staff members to fill critical roles at the organization. ELAP is a nonprofit that provides legal assistance and community education about legal rights to people throughout King County.
Katharine Nyden, JD, has been hired as a staff attorney in ELAP’s expanding Housing Stability program. In this role she will provide services in south King County to people facing civil legal issues that are affecting their housing, such as a lost job, an incident of domestic violence or an unexpected medical expense. In the Housing Stability program ELAP attorneys provide free legal services to address barriers to maintaining or getting into permanent housing. Nyden is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law where she was a member of the Race and Justice clinic and represented youth of color who were negatively impacted by the criminal justice system. She is a volunteer with the Seattle Clemency Project, Downtown Emergency Services Center and King County Bar Association’s Juvenile Law Section.
Kimberly Morrill, JD, is ELAP’s new pro bono director. She will oversee ELAP’s large pro bono volunteer program that includes more than 160 professional lawyers who provide hundreds of hours of free or low-cost legal advice and services each year. Morrill is a graduate of Bryant University and the New England School of Law. She has worked as a legal advocate for domestic violence survivors at New Beginnings and the YWCA of Seattle-King County.
Jaskirat Chawla has been hired as a legal navigator working out of the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle. ELAP’s legal navigators help recent victims of crime, especially those who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, to navigate the confusing legal system. They serve as liaisons between the survivors and local legal aid and social service agencies. Chawla has a bachelor’s degree in criminology, law, and society from the University of California at Irvine. Prior to ELAP, she worked at rape crisis centers and domestic violence agencies providing survivors with resources and support. She also worked closely with law enforcement agencies to provide emergency support to survivors and training to law enforcement officers.
“People in King County are experiencing an increase in legal challenges because of this pandemic and the economic downturn,” Gerald Kroon, ELAP executive director, said. “We are pleased to hire these three talented and passionate individuals to fill key positions that help ELAP address the community’s growing need for civil legal aid services.”
ABOUT ELAP:
ELAP (Eastside Legal Assistance Program) is a nonprofit dedicated to working with people facing domestic violence, housing, financial, healthcare, immigration and other issues that need a legal solution. We also educate communities about their legal rights. We work for free to solve legal issues and provide resources for our community members because not everyone can afford a lawyer. Learn more about other ELAP programs and services at elap.org.
The above is a press release from the Eastside Legal Assistance Program. The Auburn Examiner has not independently verified its contents and encourages our readers to personally verify any information they find may be overly biased or questionable. The publication of this press release does not indicate an endorsement of its contents.
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