Clallam County lawyers & legal news
Update, April 22, 2020: The Courthouse Facilitator office is open again. Rachel Munoz-McCormick is the new Facilitator. As of November 26, 2019, the Courthouse Facilitator position is currently vacant and the office is temporarily closed. It will re-open as soon as the position is filled again.
Until the facilitator’s office re-opens, Port Angeles Pro Bono is offering free help for low income families through the Family Law Project 2020 on Friday afternoons.
In an effort to make the Wednesday morning dependency calendar more efficient for very brief hearings, Commissioner Brandon Mack will test out a new schedule with two calendars. The 9:00 a.m. calendar will include hearings that tend to be shorter. These will include first set fact findings, shelter care hearings, status hearings, and motions that are likely to be agreed by all parties. The second calendar will start at 9:30 a.m. and is intended to include review hearings, permanency planning hearings, and contested motions.
The new calendar system will go into effect on April 1, 2020, for a several month trial period.
This suggestion comes from participants of the quarterly court improvement meetings who suggested trying a divided calendar to solve the problem of parties waiting around for hours on a Wednesday morning just to have a simple 5 minute hearing.
Youth-at-risk/chins calendar will remain at 8:15.
The Courthouse Facilitator helps people find and fill out family law forms. They are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice, but they can help correctly fill out the necessary forms, and are extremely knowledgeable about court room procedures.
The Clallam County Courthouse Facilitator position is current vacant. The new Facilitator will begin providing services on March 1, 2026. In the meantime, Port Angeles Pro Bono is offering Facilitator-type services for family law and protection order cases. To apply for services please fill out the form below.
IF PAPB is able to provide you services, they will reply within 48 hours. If they do not reply it means they are not able to provide you services.
Other options for help are the Clallam-Jefferson Pro Bono Lawyers, Northwest Justice Project, or a private attorney. See this page for pro bono options. Private family law attorneys are listed here.
The Facilitator’s office is located in room 3003 in the Clallam County courthouse building, across the hall from Court Room 3, the Family Court. Please note, the court house facilitator does not provide legal advice. Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers provides free legal advice for qualifying low income people.
To reach Maria Malkasian, email [email protected].
Facilitator days and hours at the main office are (this schedule changes frequently so it may not be accurate):
Monday: 9:00 am to 12:00 and 2:00 pm 4:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am to 12:00 and 2:00 pm 4:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am to 12:00 and 2:00 pm 4:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am to 12:00 and 2:00 pm 4:00 pm (in Forks on the last Thursday of each month)
Friday: Closed
Attorney Anna Brady, Washington State Supreme Court Law Clerk, and future associate of Ziontz, Chestnut, will present The intersection of environmental and Native American law: Creating Bear Ears National Monument and beyond. This will be during the regularly scheduled Clallam County Bar Association luncheon at the usual location. For more information contact CCBA Bar president Donna Knifsend, 360-670-9406.
Superior Court has scheduled some Friday Visiting Judge trades with Jefferson County through May 2020. The trade dates are as follows:
January 24th – Judge Basden Travels
February 21st – Judge Coughenour Travels
March 20th – Judge Erickson Travels
April 17th – Judge Basden Travels
May 8th – Judge Coughenour Travels
The annual Clallam County CLE Bonanza event is November 1, 2019, at the Holiday Inn Express in Sequim, from 9:00-4:00. The suggested donation amount is $200 in advance and $225 at the door, and includes a catered lunch from Sequim Fresh. CLE Bonanza is hosted by the Clallam-Jefferson Pro Bono Lawyers, and this event is their largest fundraiser.
Speakers and topics include:
Please contact CJPBL director Shauna Rogers to register, or to become a program sponsor: [email protected]
A no-cost clinic to help people write their Last Will and Testament will be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2019, at the Eagles Club (2843 Myrtle Street, Port Angeles), from 12-2. This event is hosted by the Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers. RSVP is REQUIRED. To RVSP, call 360-504-2422. (Please note, most CJCPBL clinics do not require a reservation.)
Please note: this event is full. Please call the number above to be placed on a waiting list, or to find additional Will Clinic days.
It is a very good idea to make a Last Will and Testament for everyone, because this can save your loved one’s a significant amount of the time and stress during a time when surviving family and friends are needing help to reduce stress from the loss of loved ones.
Denis Stearns of Stearns Law, and of counsel to Marler Clark, will discuss food safety litigation on October 11, 2019, at the Clallam County Bar Association luncheon, at the usual location. For more information, contact Donna Knifsend, 360-670-9406
The annual Clallam County Bar Association CLE will be November 1, 2019. This year it will be held in Sequim. Details to follow.
What is going on at the WSBA? You are invited to have lunch with President Bill Pickett, and Interim Executive Director Terra Nevitt on September 18. They are embarking on the 2019 Listening Tour across the state in an ongoing effort to listen to member comments individually. Please join us as we head to Port Angeles.
WSBA Listening Tour in Port Angeles
When: Wednesday, September 18, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Kokopelli Grill – 203 East Front Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
This is your opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and offer comments as the WSBA plans for the future. Your input matters and we hope to see you there.
*Space can be limited so please send in your RSVP to [email protected].