In This Issue

Clinic Update DOTHouse Holiday Cheer Volunteer & Staff Spotlights Call Center News Meet Our New Staff

Guardianship Clinic Update

We're Switching Days! New year, new hours! Starting January 8 th , VLP's Guardianship Clinic will be held on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays. You can still find us 9AM-1PM in the 2nd floor Court Service Center at the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse!

Making Magic

DOTHoHoHo At VLP, we always value helping our valued partners, and sometimes that help is in the form of a party! Our community partnerships are integral to our work, and one of our valued community partners is DotHouse Health. We hold a weekly clinic at DotHouse in collaboration with Ropes & Gray, where we meet with DotHouse patients about their legal issues. Recently, VLP staff volunteered at the DotHouse Health Children's Christmas Party. It was a fantastic day for more than 700 children and their families! VLP sent four volunteer "elves": Director of Project Management Damaris Frias Stone, Legal Director Cindy Palmquist, Staff Attorney Steve Russo, and Boston University Intern Liuyang Yu, to join volunteers from Ropes & Gray.   The focus of the event was to provide a fun holiday party for children while providing resources to their parents. The kids enjoyed getting their faces painted, drawing, playing games, having their pictures taken, and making decorations. Their parents learned about community organizations in their area. The event married fun with practical help.   It was a busy, exciting day! We are so proud of our staff and our BU intern for spending a Saturday creating such a joyful event for children in the community!

Pro Bono Spotlight

Homelessness Prevented Volunteer Attorney Carol Guerrero , an attorney with WilmerHale, has been described by many as being genuinely engaged in her work with clients. She is certainly no stranger to going above and beyond! On one of her first days at Housing Clinic, Carol worked extremely hard at preparing a client for a hearing before the judge on whether our client broke a court agreement. If the judge found he had broken the agreement, the landlord would have gotten the power to forcibly evict our client with only forty hours’ notice. Carol wanted to represent the client in the hearing and even went as far to start LAR-certifying herself in the court hallway by watching video trainings on her phone. In the end, Carol successfully prevented the landlord’s motion from being allowed. The tenancy was preserved, homelessness prevented, and the subsidized apartment preserved. VLP is only as good as our volunteers, and so we are absolutely thrilled to see such amazing work done by such caring people every day!

VLP Staff Case Win

"What Sonia's employer was doing was illegal, but Sonia was without recourse because she could not afford an attorney."

Wage Theft Win: Sonia's Story VLP Staff Attorney Tallulah Knopp recently protected a client's rights, and in the process, created structural changes that will have wide-reaching impacts. Sonia*, a nursing assistant, found herself in an unlawful situation and she needed help. Sonia worked long hours filled with the harsh physical and emotional demands of caring for the ill. She tended to the health and wellness of countless patients, provided a steady hand for those finding their strength after an injury, and acted as a calming presence for those facing a challenging diagnosis. She did this for more than a year without a single vacation day because her employer would not allow her or her coworkers to use their earned vacation time. Sonia made several requests to use her time but was always denied, and because of the employer's "use it or lose it" policy, she was losing all of her accrued vacation time at the beginning of every year. Sonia and her coworkers were cheated out of time they rightfully earned. What Sonia's employer was doing was illegal, but Sonia and her coworkers were without recourse because they could not afford an attorney. In an attempt to find out what her rights were, she called VLP's intake line. From there, Sonia was put in touch with Attorney Tallulah Knopp. Tallulah immediately recognized the illegality of the situation. Tallulah sent a demand letter to Sonia's employer for the unpaid vacation time. She looked through Sonia's employment records and calculated how much pay Sonia had lost throughout her employment. Using this knowledge, Tallulah negotiated a favorable settlement for Sonia. What's more, Sonia's employer has amended its practices to be compliant with the law. Now all of Sonia's coworkers are allowed to use their hard-earned vacation time! Even when our attorneys work with an individual, the impact of their work can have a ripple effect. Tallulah was able to protect an entire group of nursing assistants through her legal advocacy. We're proud of Tallulah and all of our staff attorneys who fight for Bostonians every day.   *Name has been changed

Call Center Update

We've Moved! As of October, our call center Eastern Region Legal Intake (ERLI) went through some changes- we moved offices! Along with an upgrade of gorgeous natural light in the new space, ERLI's new home is right by the VLP main office! With Call Center Manager Chris Neighbours and newly promoted Hardy Jean as Senior Legal Advocate , it's safe to say the new space is in good hands!

New VLP Staff

Katie Bryce is our new Bankruptcy Paralegal. Katie grew up in Michigan and went to college in Detroit. After graduating, she was able to travel and she settled down in Boston after a year of working abroad. Even though she loves her new home-city, she has to admit she will always root for Detroit teams.

Entering VLP as our new DotHouse and Appeals Paralegal is Victoria Dorante. Victoria is originally from Venezuela and comes to us from an accounting background. Part of what inspired Victoria to enter the world of Law was seeing financial disparities and wanting to make a difference. Victoria graduated from Bunker Hill and is already making a huge impact at VLP!

Wendy Kent is our new Administrative Assistant. She graduated from Longy School of Music in 2018 with her MM in Vocal Performance and also holds a BA in Music from Westmont College. In her spare time Wendy can be found singing, reading, and sharing pictures of her new puppy named Charlie.

Nora Pou is our new Guardianship & Housing Staff Attorney. After being in the field of education for many years, Nora moved on to the legal field. Nora became a law clerk and worked on contracts, medical law, and mortgage closings before coming to VLP to lend her expertise.

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Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors:

Thank You to Our 2019 Annual Event Sponsors: