Wendy Foster (Senior Litigation Paralegal, Seattle) has been involved with pro bono and community service since she started at Foster Garvey. In 2024 alone, she completed 147 hours of pro bono work by the end of October. She has assisted with a variety of matters, including pro bono work for Hopelink and the Seattle Clemency Project.
Hopelink is a non-profit organization that has served homeless, low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities for over 50 years. Their mission is to provide individuals with the stability, skills and knowledge needed to exit poverty for good.
Wendy feels a strong obligation to assist on public interest-focused cases as these add meaning to her daily work and provide an opportunity for direct human connection and impact. She understands firsthand the importance of her work; when her daughter was a young single mom, she was a client of Hopelink. Wendy accompanied her daughter to her initial intake appointment and fondly remembers Hopelink's support and reassurance, helping her daughter feel more at ease with her situation.
In addition to her work with Hopelink, Wendy is assisting on a matter with the Seattle Clemency Project (SCP) while her team works toward an early release from prison (commutation) for their client. She has managed and highlighted support letters used in drafting the clemency petition and attends meetings with the client and the team. Through her work with the SCP, Wendy witnessed the profound impact of education and mentorship on incarcerated individuals, helping them find purpose and improve their circumstances.
Wendy also supported a pro bono team that went to trial this spring for their incarcerated client who had Section 1983 deprivation of rights claims. While working on this matter, Wendy helped to prepare and organize trial exhibits and assisted the attorneys in the courtroom. She did everything from running the exhibit display software to delivering clothing to the client each morning while he waited at the marshal’s office in the courthouse.
Throughout each process, Wendy learned to approach individuals convicted of crimes with an open mind, acknowledging their individuality and the complexities of their situations. She has found it immensely gratifying to help those who do not have many resources and finds meaning in the direct impact these cases have on individuals’ lives. She notes that pro bono is a wonderful way for staff to diversify their workload and to learn more about different types of law, processes and policy issues.
This summer, Foster Garvey co-hosted a continuing legal education program with SCP that shared best practices for representing individuals facing deportation due to a past criminal conviction as well as those currently imprisoned who are seeking an early release (commutation) through the clemency process. The firm looks forward to furthering its support of SCP’s mission through a variety of additional projects in the future. To learn more about SCP and ways to volunteer, visit seattleclemencyproject.org.
