Center for Justice

The Center for Justice is Spokane's community law firm, empowering people and communities of the Inland Northwest through a unique mix of direct legal services, advocacy, and impact litigation. The Center was founded in 1999 by former public defender Jim Sheehan, whose contributions to the Spokane region include a variety of real estate development and revitalization efforts with a sustainability and social justice focus. The Center for Justice has occupied office space in the historic Community Building at the corner of Main and Browne since 2001.

The Center provides holistic legal services in the areas of housing justice, criminal justice, and driver's relicensing. These services are key to providing access to justice for those who cannot otherwise afford an attorney. The Center's housing justice program prevents evictions and has a proven track record of successfully advocating for tenant-favorable laws and policies. Our criminal justice program provides a broad range of services including assistance with expungement, sealing, and vacation of criminal records, reduction and elimination of legal financial obligations, and protection of constitutional rights. Our driver's relicensing program is one of only a few programs in the country, recalling unpaid traffic infractions from collections, setting up affordable payment plans, and getting clients licensed and insured. The Center also accepts select matters that fall outside of its three program areas, primarily those which address manifest systemic injustices. The Center periodically brings affirmative litigation to address these injustices. Since 2004 the Center for Justice has served as the fiscal, legal, and administrative home to Spokane Riverkeeper, guardians and advocates for a fishable, swimmable Spokane River. Spokane Riverkeeper combines law, science, and policy and holds polluters and governmental regulators accountable.