LASP's longtime Executive Director announces her departure
Elizabeth Wood Fritsch, Esq., has announced her departure this summer from LASP, after more than 20 years as Executive Director. When suburban legal aid agencies joined forces to form LASP in 2001, Ms. Fritsch was Executive Director of Bucks County Legal Aid. She became Co-Executive Director of LASP at that time, and has served as Executive Director since 2013. "It has been an honor to work with so many strong advocates for justice, and with great organizations and volunteers," she said. "Thank you for your help and for your belief in justice."
Search Committee sets April 20 deadline for Executive Director applicants
LASP's Board of Directors has begun the search for the next Executive Director. For more information about the p
osition, please visit http://lasp.org/jobs
. The a
pplication deadline is April 20, 2018. The Board Search Committee anticipates making a final decision before the end of June.
|
 |
|
NEW: LASP's online application creates 24/7 access
 Access to LASP's free civil legal services just got easier! Earlier this month, LASP implemented an online application form. P
eople who need LASP's services can apply using a secure online portal. The online application is available 24 hours a day and works with a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
To use the new online application:
- Enter basic information about your legal problem and follow the prompts.
- Applicants need either an email address or phone number to use the system.
- People who appear to be eligible will be asked to schedule a time for a LASP paralegal to contact them to complete their application.
- People who are not eligible will be directed to other resources. In some cases, people will be directed to call the Helpline because more information is needed to determine eligibility.
People facing an emergency or who have a hearing within the next 10 days should use the LASP toll-free Helpline, 877-429-5994, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or check their county office's walk-in intake hours at
http://lasp.org/locations.
For more information, please contact Zandra Rawlins-Adens, online intake paralegal, at 610-275-5400 x110 or zrawlins@lasp.org.
|
|
|
"Standing Together: Working for Justice"
|
Annual Report: Check it out online!
|
To stand together with LASP as we work for justice,
please make a donation at
http://bit.ly/LegalAidHelps
or click the heart button below.
|
| PA residents in 1st phase of new Medicare card rollout |
New Medicare cards being issued starting in April
 |
|
|
Sample of new Medicare card |
Starting in April 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin issuing new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers and Medicare cards to help protect the identities of Medicare enrollees. The change implements a 2015 law that required CMS to remove social security numbers from Medicare cards. From April 2018 through April 2019, CMS will be mailing new Medicare cards to existing Medicare enrollees in seven waves by groups of states. A sample of the new Medicare card appears above.
Medicare enrollees residing in Pennsylvania will receive new Medicare cards in the first mailing, to be completed by June 2018.
For more information:
http://bit.ly/2HVkG6K
.
|
|
Highlights from the Counties
|
Bucks County
April 6 CLE to address PFAs & domestic violence
LASP and the Bucks County Bar Association are collaborating to present a CLE on Protection from Abuse orders and domestic violence on Friday, April 6. Rachel Pinsker, senior attorney for Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), will be one of the speakers at the event, scheduled for 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Bucks County Bar Association, 135 E. State St., Doylestown. Lunch will be provided. The CLE is free for attorneys who agree to volunteer as plaintiff attorney for a PFA case.
For more information, please contact Michelle Froehlich at (215) 348-9413 x110 or MichelleF@bucksbar.org. To register, visit
https://bucksbar.org/calendar.
|
|
|
Chester County
Monthly outreach at Dept. of Aging, and a March 27 landlord-tenant workshop
LASP staff attorney Leo Vasmanis visits the Chester County Department of Aging monthly and sees six clients in half-hour time slots.
Information and referrals are given on a wide range of legal problems, from wills, powers of attorney, guardianship to consumer issues, housing and bankruptcy. Appointments are made through the Department of Aging at 610-344-6009. On March 27, Leo also presented a landlord-tenant workshop to local service providers at the Government Services Building through the County Department of Human Development.
|
|
|
|
SAVE THE DATE! 14th Annual Trial Run 5K
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Struble Trail | Downingtown, PA | 8 a.m.
Run to support free civil legal aid!
Registration fee is $10 before June 1, and $15 afterward and on race day. Online registration is at
https://trialrun5k.itsyourrace.com/register/.
The race is at the Struble Trail in Downingtown. The staging area is at Pennsylvania Avenue park entrance, across from Planet Fitness.
For more information, please contact Brian Doyle at 610-436-4510 x211 or bdoyle@lasp.org.
|
|
Delaware County
New Chester City office planned for LASP
LASP's Chester City office is on the move, from 410 Welsh Street to 419 Avenue of States, a block away. The move is expected to occur in April. Updated information will be posted on LASP Facebook and Twitter feeds when the move is completed.
|
|
|
|
Montgomery County
PRO BONO TRAINING CLE: Eviction Prevention & Intervention Coalition (EPIC) replay with live Q&A on April 5
T
here's still time to volunteer for Montgomery County's groundbreaking pilot program to prevent evictions, which can lead to homelessness. On
Thursday, April 5
, Montgomery Bar Association will host a video replay of the Eviction Prevention and Intervention Coalition (EPIC) CLE, followed by live Q&A, at noon.
LASP attorneys Susan Strong, Eileen Carroll and Don Cheetham joined Emma Hertz of Montgomery County Housing and Community Development to present the initial CLE.
This program is designed for attorneys interested in representing tenants in Magisterial District Court hearings. Topics will include an overview of Pennsylvania landlord-tenant law, defending a landlord-tenant complaint, and negotiating settlements to prevent evictions. By completing this training, you will be prepared to serve as a volunteer in the courtroom of Magisterial District Judge Margaret Hunsicker, collaborating with the Montgomery County Housing and Community Development Office in this innovative eviction prevention pilot program. For more information about the program, contact Nancy Walsh at nancywalsh@montgomerybar.org or 610-994-3663.
Registration and lunch will begin at noon. The CLE is FREE for any member who volunteers for EPIC for at least one morning or one afternoon. To register, please visit
http://bit.ly/2DLMIiz.
|
|
Interns help remove barriers to employment for LASP clients
During spring semester, LASP's legal interns are assisting staff attorney Erica Briant with regional expungements. Clearing and sealing criminal records can pave the way for those with minor, nonviolent offenses to re-enter the workforce.
Marquiese Cousar
is a paralegal student at Delaware County Community College who'll graduate in May. He previously worked as a certified nursing assistant but became interested in legal work through family members. He previously interned with Senior Law Center intake. His 10-year-old-daughter and 4-year-old son are the focus of his time outside of school and work.
Senior intern
Guy Marinari is a third-year student at Temple University Beasley School of Law. He has become a go-to person for help with the large number of criminal records cases that LASP is handling. Now in his second year of working for LASP, Guy has readily worked during vacations and school breaks so that more people will be able to have their records cleared and move onto better lives.
Megan Reinprecht, a second-year student at Villanova Law, is a huge Philadelphia Flyers fan. She started doing expungements as a member of Villanova's Pro Bono Society. She's also a member of Villanova's Public Interest Fellowship Program, and was just elected as a board member of the Criminal Law Society. A history major, she decided to attend law school after graduating from Bryn Athyn College. "
I wanted to have a job where I helped people solve their problems and because I thought it could lead me into politics or another public policy job down the line," Megan said.
|
|
|
