| Letter from Shawn Boehringer, LASP's new Executive Director |
LASP and legal aid programs across the country contribute to bringing life to Constitution & FDR's "four freedoms"
To the LASP community,
The LASP service area of Bucks, Chester,
Delaware, and Montgomery counties is home to some of the most significant sites of American history -- the Battle of Brandywine, Valley Forge, and Washington's crossing of the Delaware. These events were crucial in the formation of our nation. In nearby Philadelphia in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed and included a stirring preamble which sets forth the paramount ideals of the country, among them ensuring domestic tranquility, promoting the general welfare, and at the top of the list, establishing justice.
Added to the Constitution in 1868 after the Civil War, the deadliest military conflict in U.S history, was the 14th Amendment, which guarantees due process and equal protection to all citizens.
On January 6, 1941, on the heels of the Great Depression and on the brink of U.S. involvement in World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous "Four Freedoms" State of the Union, in which he insisted that individuals in all nations share the key freedoms which Americans value most: the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of religion, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear. The "Four Freedoms" speech created the foundation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, championed by President Roosevelt's widow, Eleanor, and adopted by the United Nations in 1948.
The work of LASP and legal aid programs across the country is so important because the programs contribute to bringing life to the lofty aspirations set forth in the Constitution and by President Roosevelt. By assisting the domestic violence victim obtain protection, legal aid programs advance the freedom from fear. By assisting an individual obtain SSI benefits because of a disability or helping someone qualify for SNAP benefits to feed their family or avoid an eviction done in violation of the law, legal services programs promote the general welfare, ensure due process of law, and further the freedom from want. In all of these cases, legal aid staff ensure that our courts and administrative agencies promote and establish justice.
Your support and interest in the work of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania is greatly appreciated. Please call upon us if you need assistance in one of our areas of expertise, refer those in need of help to us, and support our mission and programs.
C. Shawn Boehringer
LASP Executive Director
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Delaware County
Michelle R. Terry Honored for 40 years in Legal Aid
The
Delaware County Bar Association
honored Michelle R. Terry, LASP's longtime Delaware County Managing Attorney, for 40 years of service to legal aid on Aug. 22, 2018. Michelle's career in legal aid began during law school at the
University of Pittsburgh
, as an intern at
Neighborhood Legal Services
. A Reginald Heber Smith Fellow, she worked under the fellowship for her first two years at the Delaware County Legal Assistance Association.
She then continued on with DCLAA as supervisor of the Advice & Referral Unit for five years, and as staff attorney. In the 1990s, in addition to her work with DCLAA, she supervised students and was an adjunct professor at
Villanova University law school
. In 2001, DCLAA merged with legal aid organizations in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties to form LASP. At that time, Michelle became Managing Attorney of LASP's Delaware County Division, while also handling more than 2,000 cases for LASP, from 2001 to the present. Over the decades, she has represented clients in cases related to education, disability, unemployment compensation, SSI, housing, custody, PFAs, consumer law, and more.
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Photo above: Hon. Stephanie H. Klein (Ret.), member of the LASP Board of Directors, speaks in recognition of Michelle Terry's 40 years in legal aid.
Photo at left: Michelle R. Terry (center) with Judith Algeo, President of the LASP Board of Directors, and William Baldwin, Executive Director of the Delaware County Bar Association & Vice President of LASP's Board of Directors.
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Erica Briant (left), Regional Expungement Attorney; Natalie Diaz, Staff Attorney; and Hon. Stephanie Klein (Ret.), member of the LASP Board of Directors & mediator & arbitrator for ADR Options, Inc.
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| Michelle with Jacqueline Csop, Pro Bono Coordinator for the Delaware County Bar Association, and Kristan Burgess, LASP Helpline Staff Attorney. |
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| Cathy Herman (left), former LASP Fiscal Director; Karen Tyler, LASP Paralegal; and Harvey Strauss, former LASP Co-Executive Director. |
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| Kesha James (right), Deputy Director for Advocacy, with Kristan Burgess. |
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| Jacqueline Csop (left); Tamalya Kaywood, Office Manager for LASP's Media office; and Sarah Coyle, LASP Staff Attorney. |
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| Thomas Kerstan (left), LASP Staff Attorney & Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator, with William Baldwin. |
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Photos courtesy of
Venezla Moses,
LASP Helpline Paralegal;
Delaware County Bar Association
; and
Kesha James
, Deputy Director for Advocacy.
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Christina Drzal to discuss landlord-tenant law at Delaware County Fair Housing Task Force meeting Oct. 12
LASP Staff Attorney Christina Drzal will present at the Delaware County Fair Housing Task Force meeting Friday Oct. 12. The Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania will have the manual, "Know Your Rights as a Renter in Pennsylvania," available for distribution at the session. Drzal will discuss landlord-tenant law and common issues that arise. The meeting will take place from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the Smedley Park Environmental Center, 20 Paper Mill Road, Springfield. For more information and to register to attend, click http://bit.ly/2NRYail.
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Chester County
LASP at Sept. 19 Senior Expo, West Grove, for ages 60+
Staff Attorney Deborah Steeves will host LASP's table at the Senior Expo, for ages 60 & over, on
Wednesday, Sept. 19 from
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The expo, sponsored by Rep. John Lawrence, will be at the
Chester County Technical College High School, 280 Pennock's Bridge Road, West Grove.
In addition to LASP's table, exhibits and programs will include insurance, health care, county services and other topics of interest to seniors and retirees. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General will present a program on avoiding identity theft, fraud and scams. Lunch will be served.
Please RSVP as soon as possible by calling Rep. Lawrence's Jennersville office at 610-869-1602 or 610-593-6565.
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Unemployment Compensation Workshop at Financial Stability Center, Exton, on Sept. 21
LASP will present a free workshop on unemployment compensation
Friday, Sept. 21 from
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Financial Stability Center, 479 Thomas Jones Way, Suite 500, Exton. The workshop is part of LASP's partnership with
United Way of Chester County and
PA Career Link. Topics will include
the hearing and appeals process, what to expect at the hearing, and unemployment compensation law including a discussion on willful misconduct and voluntary quit. Related topics such as landlord-tenant and bankruptcy law may also be discussed. The p
resentation will be followed by a question and answer session, as well as the opportunity to sign up for a one-on-one
consultation during a legal clinic.
To register, please visit
http://bit.ly/2w9Z6I2.
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Coatesville Center for Community Health to host fall expungement workshops Sept. 26, Oct. 23, Nov. 29 & Dec. 12
LASP will present four expungement workshops at Coatesville Center for Community Health, 1001 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, this fall.
Individuals with criminal histories are often denied employment or fired from jobs because of their criminal records. Sometimes, a conviction (and a guilty plea is a conviction) can be used to keep a person out of a job.
The two-hour workshops about the pardon and expungement process are scheduled for:
- Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.
Advance registration is required. Send your name, phone or email address, and choice of workshop date to kathryn@coatesvillecenter.org, fax to 610-383-4613, phone to 610-383-4612, or mail to: CCCH Director, 1001 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, PA 19320. The event flyer is available at: Expungement Workshops at Coatesville Center for Community Health - Fall 2018.
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Laurel House & LASP: Montgomery County partners on domestic violence & PFAs
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As part of Laurel House and LASP's partnership on domestic violence issues and assisting victims in Protection from Abuse cases, staff members met Aug. 22 in LASP's Norristown offices.
Front row (from left): Beverly Boyle, LASP Staff Attorney; Stacy Dougherty, Laurel House Director of Community Outreach; Rachel Becker, Laurel House Attorney. Back row: Erik Hansen, Deputy Director for Operations for LASP; Mike Kelley, Managing Attorney of LASP's Norristown office; Annette Long-Tulio, LASP VOCA Paralegal; Karen Vogel, LASP Staff Attorney; Colleen Coonelly, Laurel House Director of Legal Services; Ally Echevarria, Laurel House Paralegal. |
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Bucks County
Community Fair in Bensalem Aug. 4
Rodlena Sales, Managing Attorney for LASP's Bristol office, attended a Community Fair at Bucks County Free Library in Bensalem on Aug. 4, from 2 - 4 p.m.
The fair included local social service agencies throughout Bucks. "I spoke with people about LASP services, passed out LASP brochures and provided referrals to other service agencies in Bucks," Sales said.
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To support LASP through AmazonSmile, at no additional cost to you, please visit http://smile.amazon.com & choose Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. when designating a nonprofit.
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To directly
support LASP's mission
increase access to justice in Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery counties, please visit:
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