THE WAY TO JUSTICE
Empowering the community through advocacy and access
The Way to Justice is a community non-profit legal aid organization led and created by women of color. Through direct representation, impact litigation, policy reform, and advocacy work, we address the barriers facing individuals who have been negatively impacted by our justice system.
The Way to Justice is a tax-exempt non-profit organization located in Eastern Washington. (Tax ID# 84-5129426)
THE WAY TO JUSTICE
OUR VISION
Our clients and their loved ones have been unjustly impacted by our legal system. Too often, access to justice is denied due to poverty and structural bias. In our work, we focus on addressing systemic racism, removing barriers, empowering the most vulnerable, and amplifying the voices of the impacted community to create a more just system. We understand that change will not happen overnight, so another aspect of our work is focused on navigating systems as they are, to find THE WAY TO JUSTICE.
OUR STORY
We Do Justice
The Way to Justice was founded in 2020 by Virla Spencer and Camerina Zorrozua, BIPOC women with more than three decades of experience working in the justice system.
The Way to Justice is a 501 (c)(3) located in Spokane, Washington.
SAY THEIR
NAMES
Before you keep scrolling, we ask that you stop, close your eyes, and take a moment to pay respect to those who have lost their lives to police
brutality to those whose lives are cut short by racism and violence in our justice system in our legal system and in
the very fabric of our country.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
The Way to Justice envisions a system that does not oppress, suffocate, and murder people of color; a system that does not see them as a threat, or view them as expendable. Our vision is reinvestment in community-based resources rather than funneling people through a system that oppresses them. We believe in a system that can truly be just.
WHAT WE DO
OUR PROGRAMS
DRIVER'S RELICENSING
We can help you qualify for a driver's license if yours has been suspended or revoked.
JUSTICE NIGHT
We regularly host legal clinics where clients can meet with an attorney and get advice and resources.
POST-CONVICTION RELIEF
We can help you vacate your convictions, reduce your legal Financial Obligations (LFO's), and restore your rights.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
We empower local youth by offering leadership training, resources, and a platform to advocate for system change.
REIMAGINE SPOKANE VOL. 2 AT LARGE
Check out the Reimagine Spokane Zine and Voter's Guide 2022! The Way to Justice's Youth Empowerment program participants contributed to Volume 2 of "At Large," helping us tell our story and how we envision a more "just" community.
LINK TO REIMAGINE SPOKANE WEBSITE
Volume 2 is currently available in English and Spanish
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
OUR TEAM
The Way to Justice Staff
VIRLA SPENCER
CEO, Director of Driver's Relicensing
she/her
Co-founder, CEO, and Driver's Relicensing Program Director at The Way To Justice.
African American, award-winning activist, and influential advocate for people impacted by systemic injustice, with a special focus on women and individuals re-integrating into society.
Virla is passionate about removing barriers and empowering women and young people of color. Her mission is to dismantle the barriers that hinder growth in the lives of minorities.
Virla has directed local relicensing programs for over 12 years.
OUR BOARD
The Way to Justice Board of Directors
QUINTON BAKER
Board President
Born and raised in Spokane WA, Quinton has spent the past six years working directly with the homeless and other marginalized populations here in Spokane county. He recently founded a non-profit whose goal is to create various community development and community stabilization projects across the State of Washington.