Unemployment Law Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Unemployment Law Project is a statewide, not-for-profit law firm that is established to provide advice, education, advocacy, services, and representation to unemployed workers, to defend the rights and benefits of workers and unemployed people, to advise workers of their rights, and to help alleviate the burden of Washington State residents experiencing unemployment.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- -1.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 59%
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 26
- Highest pay
- $106,832, spokane attorney
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 29 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 38% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 53% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.1 million spent. The Unemployment Law Project (ULP) provides free legal assistance and information to people who have been denied unemployment benefits. With offices in Seattle and Spokane, Washington, we offer our services to anyone who has or is eligible for a Washington State unemployment claim. Unemployment benefits are a public benefit, in existence since 1935 as part of the Social Security Act, an enacted in Washington State in 1937. Countless studies have demonstrated that unemployment benefits help not only the individual unemployed worker, but also the whole community. Unemployment benefits are paid out to landlords, grocery stores, medical professionals, restaurateurs, etc. The benefits help a worker manage a period of unemployment, staying in their home and continuing to have food and medicine while temporarily without work. Empirical studies have demonstrated that a person who has representation at a benefits hearing is more likely to succeed in winning benefits than someone who is not represented. ----In 2024 ULP represented in 694 hearings and appeals. This includes four cases in Superior Court and the Court of Appeals. ULP provided advice to 508 persons. In April ULP published our report VOICES OF WASHINGTON'S UNEMPLOYED, distilling 100 interviews of UI claimants whose benefits were threatened or who were ordered to repay benefits. The report advocates for broad policy reforms at ESD. Claimants frequently cited under staffing at ESD, the unfriendly appeals process, and the baffling complexity of the system. Key legislators, press, and state and federal policy makers received print copies of the report. A Seattle Times front page story highlighted the report and the destructive impact of the overpayment charges. In July 2024 the new care-giving "good cause" quit rule that ULP advocated for took effect. ULP advocated against some overly narrow rules related to the law by the business community. Fortunately the rules adopted regarding this new quit rule broadly apply to a myriad of family caregivers forced to quit a job due to childcare and other caregiving obstacles. Recently a pro se claimant was denied at her hearing because the judge did not follow the new law. The judge ruled that she quit for personal reasons and was disqualified. ULP wrote the Petition for Review to the Commissioner's Review Office and the benefits were allowed. She had "good cause" to quit due to the inaccessibility of child care for her new shift. Since 2021 ESD has been issuing thousands of overpayment notices regarding pandemic benefits. Advocates have demanded a waiver program. ULP played a key role in challenging enforcement deadlines for claimant submissions. The Department of Labor agreed and notified ESD that their interpretation of the law was incorrect. This opened the path to thousands of COVID overpayment waivers in WA State. ESD has now waived or refunded over $400 million in the state with more waivers pending. In 2024 the Office of Administrative Hearings hired a new Chief Judge. ULP staff met with the new chief judge to discuss problems and other issues with the hearing office. Some of our recommendations have been adopted. NARRATIVE OF SELECTED CASES 1: A man from a Greek immigrant family from Skagit County was separated from his employment because he requested an extension of his leave to take care of his dying father. He wanted to make sure that he was at his father's side when he passed away, which the doctors indicted was imminent. He was the only child and his elderly mother was unable to assist his father as she sustained injuries while trying to provide care. The employer denied the request for an extension of his leave and requested that he return to work the following Monday. The man had exhausted his Paid Family Medical Leave. He was unable to return to his job and the employer terminated him. After his father passed away, two weeks after the job ended, the man filed for unemployment benefits. The Employment Security Department approved his benefits. The employer appealed and ULP represented him at the hearing. The judge approved the claim and there was no overpayment. NARRATIVE OF SELECTED CASES 2:The Spokane office represented a woman who had been discharged from her position at a local store where she was employed as an Assistant Store Manager. She had been working on resetting an aisle as directed by her supervisor. She took products off the shelves and set them on the floor so that she could rearrange the aisle. She was then called up to the front to help the cashier. When she was done with that task, she went back to the aisle to finish her project. The items had all been placed in another container. A customer acknowledged that she had done that and proceeded to call her racial slurs. She told the customer not to speak to her in that manner. The customer called the police. The police escorted the customer out of the store. The employer put her on unpaid suspension pending an investigation. She was not told how long she would be suspended. She applied for emergency funds from DSHS and the DSHS representative told her that their records showed that she was fired by the employer. Benefits were denied by the Employment Security Department. ULP represented her at the hearing. The judge found her testimony to be credible and there was no finding of misconduct. Benefits were allowed. NARRATIVE OF SELECTED CASES 3:We represented a woman who quit her job due to workplace safety. The claimant worked as an Employment Specialist and helped individuals find work. She was harassed by a client of a company that she was trying to help find a job. The client had a history of assault and harassment. The claimant became a victim of it in 2023. The claimant notified her employer and the employer did not initially take steps to assist her. The claimant continued to try to assist the client. She tried to speak with her employer and told them that she felt unsafe.. She tried to speak with the owner of the b
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.