User:LegalVoice NWWLC/sandbox

= Legal Voice = Legal Voice is non-profit legal firm advocating for women’s rights in the greater Pacific North-West. Based in Seattle, the organization specializes in women’s rights, but also does work in broader civil rights and civil suits. With a small staff of only eleven, Legal Voice depends heavily on its network of both local and national volunteers and attorneys to defend those in need since 1978.

History
Founded 1978 in the living room of activist and attorney Kathleen Learned as the Northwest Women’s Law Center, Legal Voice was a collaborative effort to give women grounded legal representation in the Pacific North-West. Learned sought to create an organization that would help to better advance women’s legal rights in cooperation with her friends from law school: Cynthia Gillespie, Anne Ellington, Betty Fletcher, Jane Noland, Judith Lonnquist, and Judith Turpin.

The first case NWLC undertook was a lawsuit against Washington State University based on sexual discrimination against female athletes. On August 6 1987, the trial court submitted a conclusion on Blair v. WSU that the university had discriminated against the plaintiffs on the basis of sex and awarded damages and relief.

NWLC, now Legal Voice, continued to fight for women’s rights in five states: Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana (comprising the greater Pacific North-West). The organization also took on cases dealing with discrimination and inequality across a broad range of civil rights topics, from LGBTQ rights to laws regarding seniors and parentage.

In recent years, Legal Voice has served as a litigating, legislating, and informative resource. Both directly representing and filing briefs on the behalf of defendants, Legal Voice actively participates in over (statistic) cases per year, winning (statistic). Also helping to legislate, Legal Voice and its cooperating attorney’s and lobbyists work to write Washington state legislation, and revise and push house bills. The most recent development for the organization has been its outreach programs, specifically, a self-help resource for senior citizens, a group whose access to help is significantly reduced. Legal voice continues to use its dedicated volunteers and network of practicing attorneys to further women’s rights and protect civil rights in the Pacific North West and beyond.

Mission Statement
Legal Voice pursues justice for all women and girls in the Northwest, through ground-breaking litigation, legislative advocacy, and legal rights education.

Projects
=== Washington State Referendum 71 === Prior to marriage equality, Legal Voice helped to win passage of domestic partnership laws for same-sex and senior couples from 2007–2009, and successfully defended the law at the ballot box by winning Referendum 71 in 2009. Initially dubbed the "everything-but-marriage" bill, the Washington State Legislature voted to expand state martial protections to same-sex and senior couples, including the right of one partner to adopt another's child without paying for a home study and sick leave to care for a domestic partner.

=== Washington State Referendum 74 === Legal Voice participated in the support and passage of this Washington voter referendum that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington (state).

Washington State House Bill 2530
Legal Voice participated in the support and passage of House Bill 2530, a bill that expanded protections for victims of sex crimes. The Legislature approved a 3.8 million budget for purposes of testing, collecting, and tracking rape kits. Due to this bill, Washington became the first state in the country to have a tracking system for rape kits.

Obergefell v. Hodges
Legal Voice submitted an amicus brief as part of the Alliance in the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned all state laws banning marriages of same-sex couples.

Stoneman v. Drollinger
In 2003, Legal Voice successfully urged the Montana Supreme Court, in the first case of its kind in the nation, to recognize that when a battered woman and her children have fled to another state, a court must consider domestic violence as a reason to let the court of the other state determine child custody issues.

Hughes v. Hughes
Legal voice ensured that women may obtain a divorce without regard to whether or not they are pregnant.

Litowitz v. Litowitz
Legal Voice ensured that frozen "pre-embryos" are not treated as children, and that decision-making about them does not depend on genetic connection in 2002.

Owens v. Automotive Machinists Pension
Legal Voice ensured that women and men in committed intimate relationships receive a fair and equitable division of pension benefits, even if they are unmarried.

Washington State House Bill 1284
In 2013, Legal Voice successfully advocated for the Children of Incarcerated Parents Act, a bill that helps preserve relationships between incarcerated parents and their children.

Donate
By donating, you enable Legal Voice to work every single day toward a world where every woman and girl enjoys economic, social, and legal equality.

You can invest in this vision in the following ways: "Legal Voice""907 Pine St, Ste 500""Seattle, WA 98101"
 * Online. Make a one-time or monthly recurring secure donation online with a debit/credit card or your personal checking account. Click Here!
 * By mail. Please mail your check or debit/credit card donation to:
 * With stock. Invest with a donation of stock or securities. For more information, please contact B. Michelle Johnson, Director of Development, at 206-682-9552 x113 or via email.