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…
According to the 2014 U.S. census, 2.7 million grandparents are raising their grandchildren (up 7% since 2009). A fifth of those grandparents have incomes that fall below the poverty line. What’s the reason for this sharp increase? While a…
Jacki Payne has been an Atlanta Legal Aid Lawyer for over 30 years and has dedicated her life's work to poverty law and standing in solidarity with her clients to help them achieve the best outcomes possible. Jacki, who is…
According to the report by Generations United, “for every child in foster care, 20 are being raised by a family member”1. This reportedly saves taxpayers around $4 billion a year 2. The financial benefit is no small matter, but the…
In the absence of a caring parent, children need legal guardians in order to get the services they need. Even when a relative is financially able to care for the child, without a legal relationship, it can be difficult to…