Description
Tolani E
Navigate Law Group was founded in December 2014 by Amber Rush, Eli Marchbanks, and Colin McHugh, originally named MRM Law Group, PLLC. All three attorneys worked together at a prior law firm in Spokane, Washington. They wanted to work on the west side of the state, and were planning on being based out of Portland, Oregon. They landed in Vancouver, Washington because they were only licensed in Washington at the time and needed to take the Oregon bar exam still. They launched Navigate Law Group (formerly MRM Law Group) in Vancouver in the meantime (close to Portland, but still in Washington state), and started getting plugged in while studying for the Oregon bar exam. It turns out that they loved legal practice and life in Vancouver, and by the time they took and passed the Oregon bar exam they didn’t want to just abandon Vancouver. They had splashed into the Vancouver scene, were very technology savvy and efficient, and were providing high quality legal representation. Instead, they opened up a second office in Portland and practiced out of both.
2015
In October 2015, Navigate Law Group hired their first attorney employee and added another attorney partner. Attorneys and staff were being drawn in because of the efficient business structure and firm culture that places a high value on wellness of the individual in order to do our best work. Four other attorneys joined in January 2016, including three additional partners, and we have been off to the races ever since.
2021
Today, Navigate Law Group has ten attorneys and seven staff members. A perfect size to be an efficient and tight knit group. Our attorneys vary in practice area focus, backgrounds, and years of experience, which makes us a dynamic and well-equipped group to handle complex and simple legal issues. Navigate attorneys love their practice and work extremely hard protecting their clients’ best interests at all times.
Navigate Law Group prides itself on having a flexible, client-focused model. Attorneys are able to choose the fee structure that serves their clients the best. We focus on billing models that make sense for our clients, so our attorneys can focus on providing value and expert legal advice.
It’s About Our Community!
( Update: Due to COVID, our volunteer efforts have been restricted to the Volunteer Lawyers Program and our weekly virtual clinic only at this time. However, we hope to resume our community work as soon as we can. )
Navigate values giving back to our community in order to provide true access to the justice system. Our attorneys volunteer their time on average 88 hours total per month in a variety of settings around the community. For instance, on the 4th Thursday of every month (from 5:00 – 7:00 pm) we founded and sponsor a free general legal clinic at the Downtown Vancouver Public Library where several Navigate and non-Navigate attorneys volunteer to advise people in 20 minute sessions on a walk-in basis. We usually get about 10 attorneys from different practice backgrounds to volunteer their time each month for that. That clinic has been very popular (usually over 30 people attend). The local Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program also volunteers and helps to do the intake and run the clinic.
On the first Tuesday of the month (5:30 pm – 7:30 pm), we co-founded a free family law legal clinic with the Clark County Superior Court. This is held at the Clark County Superior Courthouse. Much like the Vancouver Library clinic, people show up with family law related issues, and our volunteer attorneys (Navigate and non-Navigate attorneys) advise in 20 minute one-on-one sessions. The Volunteer Lawyers Program also volunteers to help with intakes and facilitation. It has been very successful for the community’s access to legal advice.
In addition to the two in-person monthly clinics mentioned above, founding attorneys Amber Rush and Eli Marchbanks, host a free legal advice table at the Firstenburg Community Center twice a month, and at the Camas Public Library once a month. At these tabling events they answer legal questions on a first-come first-serve basis for 2 hours each time.
Our attorneys also volunteer regularly every month at the Volunteer Lawyers Program (providing free legal help to low-income individuals), as well as the YWCA (providing free legal help to victims of domestic violence).
Navigate Law Group values social justice work and giving back to the community, in addition to our private legal practice. Our clinics and tabling efforts are well-attended and appreciated by the community. It directly provides people easy access to the justice system.