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Recent Cases

The 2010 Advocacy Report is now available! Read about NJP's recent case work.

Management Team

César E. Torres
Executive Director

César Torres has served as Executive Director of the Northwest Justice Project since the Fall of 2006. He earned his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. from Yale University. He has dedicated his legal career to the cause of equal justice. During law school he clerked for the Legal Aid Society
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Deborah Perluss
Director of Advocacy/General Counsel

Deborah Perluss is the Director of Advocacy/General Counsel of the Northwest Justice Project. Ms. Perluss has spent her career with civil legal services programs throughout Washington. Ms. Perluss received her B.A. in 1975 from the University of California, San Diego, J.D. in 1978 from the University of California Hastings College
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Susan Encherman
Director of Administration

Susan Encherman began her career in civil legal services in January 1980 when she was hired as the first Administrator of Evergreen Legal Services. She held this position until October of 1995 when as a result of a statewide restructuring plan, she left to launch the Northwest Justice Project as the Director of
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Joan Kleinberg
Director of CLEAR/Private Bar Development

Joan Kleinberg is a member of the management team, with primary responsibility for the statewide legal aid hotline, CLEAR, and Private Attorney Involvement. She worked at Evergreen Legal Services as a staff attorney in Yakima and Seattle from 1977 to 1981 and as a private attorney involvement specialist from
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Steve Pelletier
Director of Finance

Steve Pelletier is an accounting professional with over 25 years of accounting, finance and management experience. He has practiced in the public accounting and the private accounting sectors over the years and he is currently the Director of Finance of the Northwest Justice Project. Steve is a licensed CPA in Washington
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