We are currently closed for new intakes. We are taking time to ensure our team’s workload is sustainable, and we are reflecting on the best ways to ensure that our enforcement work is aligned with our current campaigns and strategic priorities. We expect to reopen sometime in the spring. Updates will be posted here and on our facebook page. During this time our Base Building team will continue to host in person and online Know Your Rights trainings. 

Updated 2-14-24

The Fair Work Legal Clinic is a free civil legal aid clinic operated in partnership with Seattle University and the University of Washington schools of law. We educate, advise and represent workers in employment law cases.

The Fair Work Center Legal Clinic focuses on low-wage industries where workers’ rights are routinely violated. We educate, advise and represent workers in employment law cases. Our current priority industries are:

  • Restaurants & Food Service
  • Domestic Work
  • Gig Economy

Our legal team includes bilingual staff, and we regularly use professional interpreters in order to serve workers from a wide range of backgrounds.

Services We Provide

No-Cost Legal Consultation

Do you believe something illegal is going on in your workplace? Our Clinic provides an opportunity to talk through those workplace issues and learn about your legal rights.

Every worker who meets with us receives an individualized legal assessment of their situation at work from one of our Clinic attorneys, law students or staff. We will discuss your right to be paid fully, to work in a safe environment, and to be free from discrimination and retaliation. Clinic attorneys and staff will strategize with you about how to achieve your goals.

Community Clinic

For workers who need to meet after work in the evenings, we offer monthly appointment-only Community Clinics at either the Fair Work Center Legal Clinic office (map) or Seattle University School of Law (map). At these clinics, you will receive in-person legal consultation and a discussion of your options. The Clinics are staffed by law students enrolled in the Seattle University/University of Washington Workers’ Rights Clinic and local volunteer attorneys. Our Clinics are offered in partnership with the King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics.

Clinics in Partnership with Community-Based Organizations

We host legal clinics onsite at local community-based organizations, including the Fair Work Collaborative. These clinics are designed to reduce barriers for workers seeking legal consultation about workplace issues.

Self-Help Resources

We also offer workers resources and support to communicate with their employers, pursue claims on their own or connect with other advocacy groups. These tools include writing demand letters, navigating government complaint processes, or filing lawsuits in Small Claims Court.

Small Claims Clinic

For workers who are seeking $10,000 or less from an employer, the best and quickest path forward can be to file a lawsuit in the county Small Claims Court. The Fair Work Center Legal Clinic can guide workers through the Small Claims Court process, from beginning to end. We work closely with each worker to ensure they are fully prepared to pursue their unpaid wages and advise them every step of the way.

Individual Representation

For some cases we provide full representation. Our representation is client-centered and focused on the workers’ goals.

RECENT CASES

Read some examples of recent cases in the Fair Work Legal Clinic.

Contact us to discuss your issues at work or to learn more about the services we provide.