We just reached 500 signatures! Update on what comes next

We’ve reached our goal of 500 verified signatures before Thursday! This is incredible. Thank you so much to all our family, friends, colleagues, and those hearing about the Washington Appellate Project for the very first time and wanted to support the cause. We also want to send an extra thank you to those who provided supporter voices to this petition, who donated to Change.org so we could get this petition in front of more people, and who endorsed this petition. Your collective efforts will tell OPD loud and clear that WAP deserves an ethical contract focused on effective representation for their clients, not one that incentivizes getting through as many cases as fast as possible for more money.

However, our work is far from over.

What happens now? This petition will be sent to OPD tomorrow, Thursday, August 27. We want OPD to hear our demands as the two parties enter mediation on Friday, August 28. Mediation is not a guarantee of an ethical contract. If mediation fails, WAP will begin preparing for trial in their lawsuit against OPD, which would happen sometime in November. 

They will need your continued support. If the circumstances don’t change, WAP will cease to exist on December 26. We cannot let that happen, so please continue to share this petition and spread the word. Onwards to the next milestone: 1,000 signatures!