Program Counsel

Position:Program Counsel

Agency:Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid

Job Type:Permanent Full-Time

Salary:$115,000 - $120,000

Location:Washington State (location flexible; hybrid work/remote arrangements available)

Open:August 25, 2026

Close:Open until filled.
Review of applications will begin on September 14, 2026.

Preferred start date: November 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter

The Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) is an independent judicial branch agency. Created with an understanding that the provision of legal aid services to indigent persons is an important component of the state’s responsibility to provide for the proper and effective administration of justice, OCLA's mission is to secure, invest and oversee the use of public funding for civil legal aid to low-income people in Washington State and to ensure accountability for public funds dedicated to the purpose.

Since 2005, OCLA has administered and overseen general civil legal aid in Washington. Today the agency also supports legal aid to victims of crime and domestic violence, children in foster care, kinship caregivers, indigent tenants facing eviction, and individuals reentering society following completion of their terms of incarceration.

Consistent with The Washington State Supreme Court’s June 4, 2020, Statement to the Legal Community, OCLA acknowledges that it and its contracted civil legal aid providers operate in a law and justice system historically grounded in racism and that time and again has administered justice differentially depending on the racial identities of those involved. OCLA was an initial subscriber to the Washington Race Equity and Justice Acknowledgments and Commitments.

As outlined in its Race Equity and Justice Statement of Purpose, OCLA is committed to being an active partner in carrying out the Washington State judicial branch’s commitment to ensuring equity and justice for people and communities throughout our state.

Find out more about OCLA here

The Family and Safety Programs portfolio administers three statewide civil legal aid programs through approximately thirteen contracts with legal aid providers. These programs provide civil legal assistance to individuals and families who have experienced crime victimization, or domestic violence, or who are raising children through kinship care. Rather than focusing on a single area of law, the programs fund legal services that address the broad range of civil legal issues arising from these experiences, helping clients achieve safety, stability, and access to justice.

OCLA oversees program administration, contract performance, and provider support to ensure high-quality, coordinated service delivery across Washington.

Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime (VOCA). Established in 2016, this program funds civil legal services for victims and survivors of crime to address legal issues arising from their victimization. Services are delivered through a statewide network of legal aid providers and funded through an interagency agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce's Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA).

Domestic Violence Civil Legal Aid. Established in 2022, this program funds civil legal services for survivors of domestic violence, including protection order, family law, immigration, housing, and related civil legal matters. Services are provided through legal aid organizations across Washington, including dedicated funding for Tribal governments serving Native survivors.

Kinship Legal Services. This program expands access to civil legal aid for grandparents, relatives, and other kinship caregivers raising children. Through legal assistance, training, and statewide coordination, it…