Delaware County office move
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LASP's new Chester City address: 419 Avenue of the States
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| LASP's Chester City office moved earlier this month, with staff navigating winterlike April weather. Formerly at 410 Welsh Street, you'll now find LASP a block away, at 419 Avenue of States, Chester. The phone number remains 610-874-8421. Staff phone extensions and email addresses also remain the same. |
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Meet Natasha Towles, our new Fiscal Director
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Natasha Towles |
LASP welcomes Natasha Towles as LASP's new Fiscal Director. Natasha has extensive financial management experience. Most recently, she served as fiscal coordinator at Chester County Department of Community Development. She is based in LASP's Norristown office.
Natasha is an alumna of Lincoln University, Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University, and Goldsmiths College at University of London.
Lincoln University recently honored her with a young alumni of distinction award.
She can be reached at 610-275-5400 x122 or ntowles@lasp.org.
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60th annual Law Day events in all 4 counties celebrate Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom
Bar associations in all four counties which LASP serves have
Law Day events planned. This year's theme, "Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom," celebrates the Constitution's principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.
Montgomery County - Tuesday, May 1
CLE: "A View from the Bench: Appellate Law with the Experts," 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Montgomery Bar Association,
100 W. Airy St., Norristown.
Speakers will be
Pennsylvania Superior Court President Judge Susan Peikes Gantman, along with Judge Lillian Harris Ransom, Judge Maria McLaughlin, and Phil Yoon, Esq., Chief Staff Attorney for Superior Court, who will discuss appellate practice, hot topics and frequently asked questions.
Starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Montgomery County Courthouse, Courtroom "A," the Montgomery Bar Association will honor new admittees, winners of the Montgomery County Mock Trial Competition, and recipients of the MBA Public Service Awards. Following the ceremony, Law Day festivities will continue with a complimentary luncheon at the Montgomery Bar Association.
Pre-registration is requested for an accurate luncheon count.
Bucks County - Tuesday, May 1
, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Bucks County Bar Association, 135 E. State St., Doylestown.
Speakers will include The Honorable Robert O. Baldi, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas; James Cawley, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor; Mike Fitzpatrick, Esq., former member, U.S. House of Representatives; and The Honorable James M. McMaster, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
To register:
http://bit.ly/BucksLawDayMay1_2018.
Chester County - Friday, May 4,
noon-1:30 p.m. at
West Chester Country Club,
111 W. Ashbridge St., West Chester.
Keynote speaker will be Rodney Smolla, dean and professor of Delaware Law School. The annual Law Day celebration luncheon also recognizes winners
of the Charles E. Swope Scholarship, poster contests and the Mock Trial competition.
The Swope Scholarship Matching Grant will be awarded. To register: http://bit.ly/ChescoLawDayMay4_2018.
Delaware County
Bench and Bar - Friday, May 4, 10 a.m. at Delaware County Courthouse, 201 W. Front Street, Media, in Courtroom 1. Register at: http://bit.ly/DelcoLawDayMay4_2018.
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April is Fair Housing Month
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Eviction Lab data show impact in LASP's 4-county region; Pew report on how legal aid can help prevent evictions
Data from Princeton University's Eviction Lab show that significant problems exist in the four counties LASP serves. In 2016, there were
15,063 eviction filings in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. 2016 data reveal that areas of more concentrated poverty, such as
Norristown, Coatesville, Chester city, Bristol and Darby, all had eviction rates higher than the city of Philadelphia. Eviction cases will be heard in one of the 97 separate Magisterial District Justice courts located throughout the counties.
The Eviction Lab is an outgrowth of Matthew Desmond's 2017 Pulitzer prize-winning "EVICTED: Poverty & Profit in the American City." Check out the data: http://bit.ly/EvictionLab.
Philadelphia ranks 4th in nation in total number of evictions, based on this database. Julia Terruso's story in the Philadelphia Inquirer is at:
http://bit.ly/2HN27mv
. Utilizing Eviction Lab data, the New York Times discussed the issue at a national level, focusing particularly on Richmond, Virginia. The April 7 story is at:
https://nyti.ms/2JtpqBY
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The
importance of legal help in eviction prevention is the focus of a recent
Pew Charitable Trusts Stateline reporting piece. The full article, from the Winter 2018 issue, is at
http://bit.ly/2GMULOy.
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Our mission
The mission of LASP is to provide quality legal representation to low-income and vulnerable people from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, to empower them to solve problems without legal representation through legal education and increased access to the courts, and to change community practices and systems that aggravate poverty.
To support LASP and access to justice,
please make a donation at
http://bit.ly/LegalAidHelps
or click the tulip button below.
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Highlights from the Counties
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Bucks County
Thanks to Bucks County Foundation!
LASP is pleased to have received a $10,000 grant from the Bucks County Foundation. The grant helps fund legal services for low-income Bucks County residents facing financial, housing or health care problems. It also supports community legal education programming. The mission of the Bucks County Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for residents of the county by stimulating philanthropic opportunity and developing long-term financial assets to meet a wide range of the community's charitable needs.
LASP's Rhonda Sherrod at Senior Health Fair
Staff attorney Rhonda Sherrod presented information on LASP services at the annual Senior Health Fair, hosted by State
Rep. Frank Farry (R-Bucks) as a "one-stop shop" for information on programs and services offered by all levels of government and private agencies. The free event, held April 6 at Raymond P. Mongillo, Sr. Community Center, Levittown, also featured health screenings and fitness demonstrations.
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14th Annual Trial Run 5K
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Struble Trail | Downingtown, PA | 8 a.m.
Supports free civil legal aid!
Registration 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 Struble Trail in Downingtown. The staging area is at Pennsylvania Avenue park entrance, across from Planet Fitness.
Thanks to
MacElree Harvey, event sponsor!
For more information, please contact Brian Doyle at 610-436-4510 x211 or bdoyle@lasp.org.
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Delaware County
Christina Drzal on Section 8 panel
 LASP attorney Christina Drzal joined a panel discussion of "Section 8 issues in landlord tenant matters" April 11 at Upper Darby Watkins Center. The public seminar, open to the community and lawyers, was sponsored by the Magisterial District Judges' Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association.
In addition to Drzal, the panel included Laura D. Blackburn, Director Housing Choice Voucher Program, Delaware County Housing Authority; Lee Stivale, Esq.; Stivale Law Offices; and Co-Chairs of the Magisterial District Judges' Committee, Judge Christopher Mattox, District Judge, Upper Darby. Judge Deborah A. Krull, Media, moderated
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| LASP attorney Christina Drzal joins panelists to update the community on Section 8 eligibility, landlord and tenant responsibilities, and misconceptions about Section 8. From left -- Judge Deborah Krull, Christine Drzal, Laura Blackburn, Lee Stivale, Christopher Mattox. Photo courtesy of Delaware County Bar Association. |
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Montgomery County
Save the date!
LEGAL AID GOLF CLASSIC
Friday, June 22, 2018
Bluestone Country Club, Blue Bell
All proceeds from this year's Golf Classic will directly benefit LASP, and a portion or all of your commitment may be tax-deductible. Be sure to bring your staff, clients, friends, family and neighbors as this year's event promises to be nothing short of...a true Classic!
Sponsorships are available, starting at $250.
Individual players: $275;
young lawyers: $175.
GOLF PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- Pre-golf continental breakfast
- Practice time on putting green and driving range
- A great day out on one of the area's premier golf courses
- Refreshments on the course
- Cart rental
- Bountiful buffet luncheon
- Invaluable networking opportunities
- MBA Giveaways and dozens of great prizes for beginners and pros!
Special thanks to Montgomery Bar Association, Montgomery Bar Foundation, and presenting sponsor High Swartz!
For more information, visit Montgomery Bar Association's website at:
http://bit.ly/LegalAidGolfClassic2018
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Removing barriers to employment: March 17 expungement clinic at Arcadia University helps 30
"We were able to assist 30 persons with expungement at the March 2018 clinic at Arcadia University," said Jordan Brunette, community outreach manager
for State Sen. Art Haywood. LASP staff who assisted clinic participants were Erica Briant, regional expungement attorney; Michael Kelley, managing attorney for the Norristown office; and Megan Reinprecht, spring intern. Pro bono attorneys also helped participants. The Montgomery County Public Defenders office collaborated as part of this outreach effort.
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