Firm Statement – Black Lives Matter

Navigate Law Group acknowledges the following with respect to race and equality in the United States of America:

• Our country was founded on freedom and equality for white men only. All others received fewer rights, while Black people were enslaved and received no rights. 
• Our nation systematically removed, oppressed, and subjugated Indigenous people through direct action or by treaties made in bad faith.
• Our country’s greatest accomplishments in terms of freedom and justice are shadowed by our country’s history of the enslavement of Black people, the continued oppression of Black people, Indigenous people and people of color (BIPOC), and the continued killing and disproportionate arrests and convictions of BIPOC by our nation’s police and court system.
• George Floyd’s horrific and uncalled for killing was the spark that set the world ablaze, but there were several others that came before him that also deserve justice. 
• We hold a position of power because of our education and position in the community. We will use this position to push for change. 

Navigate Law Group condemns racism, sexism, discrimination, and violence of any kind. As a firm, we have the opportunity to affect positive change and move the needle forward on a city, county, and potentially state level. 

• We are providing a weekly free Virtual Legal Clinic for all people in the community regardless of economic status or background to ensure everyone has access to legal help. 
• We are working diligently with a number of organizations, including NAACP Vancouver, to educate ourselves, assist BIPOC with civil rights issues, and work to make our firm, and our community, more diverse and inclusive.
• We are engaging with community stakeholders, including members of marginalized socio-economic groups, BIPOC, small business owners, community organizations, and other attorneys to change RPC 7.3, an outdated barrier to justice for all.
• We are having discussions with law schools in both Oregon and Washington, and actively supporting programs promoting diversity in the legal field.
• We are formally recognizing Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
• We are reviewing our hiring policies and specifically implementing requirements to ensure a more diverse candidate pool for both attorneys and staff. 
• Additionally, a number of Navigate attorneys and staff have personally donated funds to non-profit organizations, or otherwise volunteered their time or resources to help fight back against racism.

We are committed to learning our own biases and acting to support change for BIPOC in our community. We welcome other opinions on how we can further facilitate access to justice, and we challenge law firms and attorneys in this city, county, state, even country, to set aside their pride and fears, and step up to affect their own positive change and move to end racism in this country. We challenge our city, county, state, and federal officials to thoroughly review all police practices and training, qualified immunity laws, use of the death penalty, school funding, gerrymandering practices, and sentencing guidelines in an effort to equalize a number of systems stacked against BIPOC. Navigate Law Group supports the Black Lives Matter movement, and the push for justice for BIPOC everywhere.

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