Blog
Discover more about our recent advocacy and the communities we fight for through our latest blog posts and media releases.
THE LATEST
2026 Imagine Justice Event Registration
Join us for our Imagine Justice celebration honoring 30 years of Columbia Legal Services. Connect with advocates, supporters, and community partners as we celebrate the impact we’ve made together and look ahead to a future where everyone in Washington has access to...
Case Update: Appeals Court Affirms Significance of Farmworker Wage Victory
Over the course of four years of litigation, farmworker labor union Familias Unidas por la Justicia, AFL-CIO, and union member Ramon Torres Hernandez, won important victories to protect the wages that they earn harvesting crops. The farmworkers successfully challenged...
Misinterpreted x-rays lead to cruel and inhumane treatment at the Washington Corrections Center for Women
Lawsuit filed after DOC leadership refused to negotiate changes to their practices
Doe v. WA State Department of Corrections
Class action lawsuit seeks to end the harmful use of dry celling at WCCW, where individuals can be subjected to days or weeks of isolation, restraints, and degrading conditions based on suspected contraband that may not exist.
Growing Justice Together: July Updates from CLS
Today’s Washington Supreme Court ruling in Bolina v. AssureCare Adult Home, brought by Fair Work Center on behalf of live-in caregivers, is a reminder of how systemic advocacy shapes the law over time. The decision extends basic wage and hour protections to workers...
Building Power Through Partnership at Constellations
In May, Community Engagement Specialist Noemi Sanchez and Litigation Director Denise Diskin attended Inatai’s Constellations Conference in Spokane. The gathering brought together more than 700 participants from over 300 organizations representing nearly every county...
Ensuring Washington’s Protections Work in Practice
What is the Keep Washington Working Act? Passed in 2019 amid escalating federal immigration enforcement, Keep Washington Working (KWW) is one of Washington’s key protections limiting state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement. CLS...
Save the Date: Imagine Justice Week 2026
Mark your calendar. Something powerful is on the horizon. We are excited to invite you to Imagine Justice Week, our annual fundraiser, happening September 21 - 25, 2026. This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate 30 years of CLS and the impact we have built...
Is Remembering Enough?
Memorial Day, May Day, and the Responsibility We Inherit By: DonYeta Villavaso-Madden, Equity and Anti-Racist Strategist As Memorial Day and May Day passed this year, I found myself reflecting on the rituals of remembrance that accompany both observances. One honors...
A Night Full of Lotería, Laughter & Community
What an incredible Lotería Night at Bale Breaker Community Pint Night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out, played, laughed, and helped make the evening such a fun and memorable experience. Your support and enthusiasm truly made the night special! We gave away...
Court Revives Lawsuit Challenging Use of Faulty Drug Testing in Washington Prisons
SEATTLE — A Washington appeals court has revived a lawsuit challenging the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) for punishing incarcerated people based on unreliable drug testing, allowing key claims to move forward. The case, brought by Columbia Legal...
Spring at Work: Accountability Taking Root
Spring is an opportunity for reflection - on what has taken root, what is just beginning to emerge, and what still needs tending. At Columbia Legal Services, this season finds us holding all of those realities at once. This season, we saw a meaningful example of...