The Washington Medical-Legal Partnership’s goal is to extend its reach to patients and families who may otherwise have no access to the legal system. Our pro bono work consists of providing services and assistance to individuals and families with limited means to address health-harming legal challenges. We invite attorneys to partner with us to resolve such barriers so we can support better health outcomes for some of the most vulnerable families in the region.

MLP Spotlight:

Rich Rawson
Pro Bono Attorney
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Rich is one of MLP’s exemplary volunteer attorneys on the immigration panel. He also served on the MLP Advisory Board. Rich shares his experience working with WA MLP and the reasons why he gives his time and expertise to the partnership.

How long have you been involved with WA MLP and why did you get involved?
I have been involved from the early days of MLP, since my law firm was very active in setting up WA MLP. MLP was getting immigration inquiries from social workers at Seattle Children’s and our firm’s pro bono coordinator reached out to me about several of these cases. That’s when I learned more about WA MLP and realized that immigration is an area where social workers are looking for pro bono legal assistance. I was very willing and enthusiastic to help in this area.

After doing several immigration cases, I suggested that MLP create a referral network of pro bono attorneys to help with immigration cases. MLP later identified a need for help from pro bono attorneys on guardianship, so we also formed a referral panel for these cases.

What do you enjoy most about doing pro bono work for MLP?
What I find most fulfilling is helping people who really need legal assistance but who cannot afford to pay for it. The immigration system is very complex, and it is not easy to navigate alone, especially when managing the care of a critically ill child. I have helped extend the immigration status of children and accompanying family members who have come to the United States for specialized medical care that is not available in their home country. I have also helped obtain visas for relatives to come to the United States to provide additional support for families undergoing emergent medical treatment for sick or injured children. Finally, I have assisted families in navigating pandemic related challenges. The public health emergency has made it difficult for families with sick children to travel internationally, resulting in multiple applications to extend their stay here in the United States.

The families that my paralegal and I have helped have been very appreciative. Making an impact on a family’s ability to care for a young patient is very rewarding. I would encourage other attorneys to get involved with MLP. I believe they would really enjoy being part of MLP’s pro bono team!

For information about MLP pro bono opportunities, please email medical.partnership@seattlechildrens.org.