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Bill

SB 5087

Establishing legal education programs at community and technical colleges.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Perry Dozier and 3 co-sponsors

SB 5087 allows Washington community and technical colleges to offer legal education programs, expanding access to paralegal and legal assistant training below the bachelor's degree level.

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:30 AM.
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Bill Summary · SB 5087

Legislative bill overview

SB 5087 authorizes Washington community and technical colleges to establish legal education programs, enabling these institutions to offer paralegal, legal assistant, and other law-related credentials below the bachelor's degree level. The bill aims to expand access to legal education pathways and create a more diverse pipeline of legal professionals across the state.

Why is this important

Legal services remain expensive and inaccessible for many Washingtonians, and a shortage of trained paralegals and legal assistants contributes to this problem. By allowing community colleges to offer these programs, the bill could increase the availability of affordable legal support services, create job training opportunities in underserved communities, and address workforce gaps in the legal sector without requiring students to pursue four-year degrees.

Potential points of contention

  • Program oversight and quality standards: Questions about whether community colleges have adequate legal expertise and resources to deliver high-quality legal education, and how programs would be regulated
  • Bar association concerns: The Washington State Bar Association may have concerns about who can use legal titles, credential standards, and whether paralegals trained through community colleges meet uniform competency requirements
  • Funding and resource allocation: Uncertainty about state funding for new programs and whether this diverts resources from other community college priorities during budget constraints

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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