To the editor:

As 2009 comes to a close, I would like to publicly thank the attorneys who volunteer with the Volunteer Lawyer Program of Island County.

These attorneys take time out of their busy lives to provide free legal aid to low-income people in Island County. Without their services many residents of the County would not receive any sort of legal assistance to deal with problems such as domestic violence, eviction, custody, paternity and consumer fraud.

The following attorneys believe that equal justice for all is important in Island County and have volunteered during the current year: Doug Saar, Mark Theune, Matthew Walker, Cecilia Welch, Rob Born, Jennifer Brainard, Carolyn Cliff, Jacob Cohen, William Daniel, Leslie Lukasic, Chris Lyons, Nathan Manni, Paul Neumiller, Mike Waller, Margaret Delp and John Watson. Also, Tamara Oakes from Skagit Valley College volunteers her time as our treasurer. Margie Porter from CADA donates her time to serve on our board of directors.

As we all suffer through the current economic crisis, volunteers in our community become even more important. Thank you all!

Christine Crowell

Program Director

Volunteer Lawyer Program of Island County