Debt Clinic

About once a month on a Thursday night I volunteer at Debt Clinic which is held in Belltown. Debt Clinic is a part of the King County Bar Association's Neighborhood Legal Clinic Program. Each Thursday night several attorneys who specialize in bankruptcy volunteer their time and take about four half-hour appointments each with people who need help figuring out what to do about their debt. Most clients are at the point of needing bankruptcy advice. Some just need some advice about a particular creditor who is giving them trouble. The legal advice is free to clients, and they make appointments ahead of time through the Bar Association.

What do I do? It's mostly clerical work. I open up the clinic, greet the clients, set up reference materials, unlock computers, shuffle paperwork, inventory forms, stuff like that. One evening about every 5 weeks is not too demanding on my schedule and it's a nice change of pace from my regular job (which can be quite demanding).

It's a good feeling to know that you are helping people, and many of them are very happy to have the free service.