In This Issue

 Housing Clinic 20th Anniversary Volunteer Spotlight 209A Case Win DotHouse Project Housing Clinic Video Training New VLP Staff

Housing Clinic's 20th Anniversary!

VLP Celebrates 20 Years of Lawyer for the Day (LFD) in Eastern Housing Court! In the 1990’s, VLP and the Boston Bar Association saw how drastically different outcomes for low-income pro se housing litigants were compared to those who were represented. Those who were pro se were unlikely to get their eviction stopped or even delayed, and they struggled to present their arguments in cases regarding poor living conditions or other defenses to the eviction. To address this inequality, in 1999 we launched the Boston Bar Association Lawyer for the Day program in Eastern Housing Court . And since then, VLP has worked with thousands of pro se low-income tenants and landlords in Greater Boston. Just last year, 74 housing court volunteers helped 3,015 clients with mediation, drafting agreements, and court hearings at the LFD table. Over the past 20 years, the project has grown immensely to serve as an example for LFD clinics around the country. We are incredibly grateful for your support over the years and look forward to continuing to make a difference in the lives of our clients.

Attorney Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight Attorney Brian Dunphy is a valuable member of VLP as a volunteer attorney, a coordinator of the statewide Civil Appeals clinic, a donor, and a board member. Attorney Dunphy gives time to VLP because he feels “a responsibility to help people.” Recently, Attorney Dunphy used his legal knowledge to help a Family Law client with an appeal. The client shares a 7 year-old child with a man currently incarcerated for a string of violent crimes, including manslaughter and attempting to harm a police officer. The father was granted visitation of the child, even though the father has been incarcerated out of state for most of the child’s life. The father and child do not have a strong relationship, and both the client and her child expressed fear of the father. The client came to the Appeals Clinic hoping to appeal the visitation, where she met Attorney Dunphy. After hearing the client’s story, Attorney Dunphy believed there was merit for appeal based on the Family and Probate Court not properly applying the best interest of the child legal standard. Attorney Dunphy, along with Attorneys Christine Paradiso, Patrick McDonagh, and Erica Coray, worked on an appeal to argue that the father should not have any visitation rights. The original decision was not only overturned, but parental rights for the father were terminated. The client and her child feel safer because of the hard work of Attorney Dunphy. Volunteers like Brian Dunphy are a rare find, and VLP feels incredibly fortunate to count someone so dedicated and altruistic as a volunteer and supporter.

209A Case Win Volunteer Attorney Kimberly McIver recently won a 1-year restraining order for a 209A Domestic Abuse client! The client reached out to VLP for representation on her upcoming 209A hearing against her husband. The husband had a history of abuse, intimidation, and control towards the client. He was physically violent with her in front of her children on more than one occasion, and he would he would drain their shared bank accounts when the client would not do what he said. The client became more fearful when she found out he put a tracking device in her car so he would know where she was at all times. The final act that caused the client to file for a Restraining Order was when her spouse threw a lawn ornament through the window of the home where the client and her children were staying. Attorney McIver usually works on divorce and custody cases for VLP, but she felt compelled to help this client after hearing her story. Attorney McIver represented the client in court and secured a 1-year restraining order that covers both the client and her two children, providing them with the legal protection they desperately need. VLP is so grateful to have hard-working, zealous advocates like Kimberly McIver volunteering with us!

"The fact of knowing that I can count on your help in moments of financial struggle is like a blessing for me." -Divorce Client

VLP Partner Program

VLP is fortunate to have many partners throughout the Boston area who make our work possible. The support from our partners allows us to serve more clients and meet more needs. The following clinic is a joint project between VLP and Ropes & Gray that allows us to serve unique client needs we otherwise would not be able to meet.

DotHouse Project VLP is excited to announce a new project in partnership with Ropes and Gray at DotHouse! Ropes has been running this project for a year, and VLP recently stepped in to provide support. DotHouse works with health care providers who identify when a patient needs legal assistance, and then they refer the patient to VLP. VLP Legal Advocate Mikerline Paul schedules clients to come to the DotHouse clinic in Dorchester on Tuesdays to complete an intake, and VLP gathers all relevant information and documents. Mikerline then writes up an intake summary and presents that information to Ropes at weekly case review meetings. VLP and Ropes work together to decide who is best equipped to handle the client’s case. All clients receive help ranging from advice, to help with completing paperwork, to full representation on their case. VLP receives 2-4 referrals per week currently, and the project is already making a difference in the lives of our clients in the Dorchester community. Several clients have received legal advice, representation, and referrals to organizations that specialize in their case type. VLP is honored to partner with Ropes & Gray on this worthwhile project.

MLRI Housing Clinic Video Training

Interactive Online Training on Evictions and Housing Clinic Recently, VLP partnered with Mass. Law Reform Institute (MLRI) to create an online video training for attorneys wanting to learn more about how they can help litigants in Housing Court. For the busy attorney interested in learning about landlord and tenant law, this online course is an easy, convenient one-hour introduction to the eviction process and Housing Court. It provides an overview of a summary process case, with links to additional online resources for volunteers, and quick quizzes where volunteers can “check” their knowledge. If you are interested in learning more about Lawyer for the Day and Housing Court, VLP staff provide more in-depth training and resources so you can participate in this very dynamic area of law. Click here to start your training!

"I would not have gotten to the process by myself. With VLP's help, I felt more confident when standing in front of the judge." -Guardianship Client

New VLP Staff

Sarah H. Lee is a new staff attorney at VLP , working in Family Law, Housing, and Wills . Sarah was previously a staff attorney at Northeast Legal Aid and Northeast Justice Center, practicing family law and foreclosure defense, and CPCS, practicing child welfare law. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Wellesley College. Sarah is an aspiring amateur drummer and hopes to unpack her drum kit from storage soon.

Will Bean is VLP’s new Technology Project Coordinator , working on Technology Innovation Grant projects to help guide people with issues regarding Social Security and Disability benefits and Child Support. Will is a third year law student at Suffolk University Law School and has focused his studies on discovering and implementing technology that can improve legal practice. As a New Hampshire resident, Will enjoys hiking in the White Mountains, but also appreciates relaxing with a good book and his 180-lb St. Bernard, Tormund.

Olga Falzone returns to VLP as a Temporary Administrative Assistant , providing staff support and managing day-to-day operations in the office .  Olga graduated from Texas A&M "before computers were common household items." Prior to joining VLP, she was a bilingual elementary school teacher for 10 years. In addition to her children, Olga is raising two beautiful dogs that bring perspective into her life. 

Victor Rivera Colon is one of our new Legal Advocates at the Call Center , where he handles a wide range of legal issues related to clients. Victor has a Juris Doctor, as well as a Masters in Human Rights and Bachelors in Human Resources. After moving from his home of Puerto Rico, Victor interned with VLP about a year ago, and we are excited to have him back with us.

Hardy Jean is a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies, and he joins VLP as a Legal Advocate at our Call Center . He previously worked in the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs at Harvard Law School. When Hardy is not thinking about the law, he exercises the right-side of his brain by writing poetry.

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