Harriet* called the Senior Legal Hotline because she wanted to add her sister, Louise*, to her Section 8 lease. Louise is mentally incapacitated and had been living with her other sister until that sister’s death, at which point Harriet took…
This is what being a Legal Aid lawyer looks like these days. Since many of us are on week three of self-isolation and working from home, we’ve become quite familiar with the challenges of technology and working away from our…
In times of crisis, Legal Aid lawyers fight harder than ever to get justice for our clients. This week, Legal Aid attorney Stefanie Sparks helped Ms. Neale*, a woman with Stage IV cancer, complete an Advance Healthcare Directive. Through this…
In times of crisis, Legal Aid lawyers are fighting harder than ever to get justice for our clients. This is one of our attorneys, Margaret Burgess. On Friday, amidst the chaos of this pandemic, Margaret went to court on behalf…
Today we want to tell you a story of resilience. K came to us after experiencing domestic violence in her relationship. And although she had been told that receiving protection was unlikely without substantial evidence, she chose to go to…
Story by Robin McDonald. Photographs by Robin Rayne. Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.: The landmark Supreme Court ruling heralded as the the disability community’s Brown v. Board of Education turns 20. ************************************************* Whenever family was at stake, Nafeesah Shaheed…
When we invited Ms. Juanita Winfield to participate in our Humans of Legal Aid project, it wasn’t long before we had a whole crew of subjects to interview: the people of Herring Road. On the phone that first day, Ms.…
Did you know? In the U.S., people are not legally entitled to a lawyer in civil (non-criminal) cases, no matter how dire the situation. That means that with cases concerning domestic violence, eviction, public benefits, and adoption proceedings (among others),…
By: Jim Sandman, President, Legal Services Corporation This month marks the 20th anniversary of Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. , the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that changed the landscape of disability law in this country. The case was brought…