logo
Newsletter                                                              March  2017
In This Issue
LASP Annual Report Now Available


Making Justice Real

Thanks to your support we were able to serve  more than 8,000 people in 2015-16.  Thank you for being champions of Legal Aid! 

Look for the Annual Report in the mail, or download a copy here.


Your donation to LASP brings hope -  and real solutions -- to people who cannot afford an attorney. You are helping people facing life changing legal problems. 

Legal Services Corporation is Targeted for Elimination

Articles in the   New York Times  and the Guardian listed the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as one of the programs targeted by the Trump White House budget office for elimination.  About 25% of LASP's annual funding comes through LSC, so elimination of the agency would significantly decrease the free legal services available to residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

A response from LSC notes the strong bipartisan support Legal Aid has in Congress and throughout the legal community. 

The ABA has issued a statement of support for LSC. 
Social Scientist Discusses the Realities of Eviction

Research  by social scientist and ethnographer Matthew Desmond shows that the reality of eviction is more complicated than traditional narratives might indicate, and that eviction can serve as a cause of poverty, rather than an effect.
Highlights from the Counties
Bucks County

Staff Attorney Rodlena Sales participated in a "poverty simulation" at Pennswood Village organized by the Bucks County Opportunity Council. The simulation showed how difficult it is to make ends meet for a family living in poverty.

Currently, more than 41,000 residents of Bucks County are living in poverty.

Read the Bucks County Courier Times article.
Chester County

LASP is partnering with the Chester County Bar Foundation and Ann's Heart of Phoenixville  to hold a free birth certificate clinic on April 13, 2017, from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m, at Ann's Heart at Sacred Heart Church Hall, b ehind 146 Church Street,  Phoenixville, PA 19460.

Without a birth certificate, access to health care, public benefits, and even a driver's license can be nearly impossible. Those who attend this free clinic will meet with an advocate who will request birth certificates for them. No ID or fee is required.

For registration information, please call LASP at 610-436-4510.

Delaware County

In partnership with State Representative Brian J. Kirkland, LASP is holding a free Criminal Record Expungement and Sealing Clinic in Chester on March 9 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the Chester City Hall, One East Fourth Street, Chester PA 19013.

Arrest must have occurred in Delaware County. For more information, please contact Malcolm Yates at 610-876-6420 or by email at myates@pahouse.net.

_____________________________________________________________

Get ready to rock for justice at the Delaware County Bar Association's Legal Aid Rocks fundraiser on March  23, 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Enjoy food, drinks, music, a live auction and raffle prizes. Tickets are $35. For information contact tracy@delcobar.com. 

Montgomery County

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) was recently awarded funding from the Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) program to expand services for victims of domestic violence in Montgomery County. 

Beverly Boyle, Esq., has been hired as a full time Domestic Violence attorney in LASP's Norristown office. A full time paralegal will also be hired. 

L ASP has also established a  countywide toll free PFA Helpline 
(1-855-980-6924) to make it easier for domestic abuse victims in Montgomery County to connect directly with Ms. Boyle or the new paralegal . Callers will be able to obtain information on filing for a PFA, get legal advice directly related to their situation, be informed of other services such as the Women's Center of Montgomery County and Laurel House, and set up an appointment for a one to one consultation with the PFA Attorney. 

Ms. Boyle will represent people at their PFA court hearings.  Victims of domestic violence who have legal representation are more likely to obtain a protective order, and one that is stronger and lasts longer.  

The PFA Helpline is  available during business hours (8:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m.). Callers who must leave a message will receive a return call within eight business hours. 

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA | 610-275-5400| www.lasp.org


Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.