NLADA files as Amicus in
Weingarten v. DeVos
in Support of PSLF
NLADA recently joined a brief as
Amicus Curiae
to represent the civil legal aid and public defender community’s interest in the proper administration of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) by the United States Department of Education (ED). The case,
Weingarten v. DeVos
, was brought by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and individual plaintiffs in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs’ claims challenge practices by ED that are contributing to the low rates of forgiveness currently being granted.
The brief was submitted on behalf of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); NLADA; and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in support of the plaintiffs’ claims that ED’s practices, including the lack of notice regarding denials and processes for appealing denials, constitute due process violations.
In the brief, the
Amici
offer data to demonstrate the significant effect PSLF has had in supporting critical public services, including services provided by civil legal aid and public defenders gathered through NLADA’s 2017 survey of the field,
“
Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Justice System
.”
Additional information about
Weingarten v. DeVos
is available
here
.
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When it Doesn’t Have to be Adversarial …
The criminal justice reform movement has cultivated many new programs and policies that are being proudly driven by stakeholders from every corner of the criminal justice community.
Access to justice brings prosecutors, police and judges together with the public defense community to work toward this shared goal.
Unlike the courtroom, these efforts are non-adversarial and enhanced by the knowledge and experience of stakeholders with diverse perspectives. Real solutions are happening because of these collaborations.
NLADA is excited to be working to identify and scale successful models. It is currently surveying systems across the country to identify new programs that are the result of collaborative efforts among traditionally adversarial stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance is supporting project replications, and NLADA is providing the technical assistance and subject matter expertise to expand successful models to new jurisdictions. Project replication resources will be available to the field. For more information or to share projects you know of, please contact
Lucy Larkins.
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From Tragedy to Triumph
Mr. Brandon Whitting was born in Crockett, a small town in East Texas. Crockett’s poverty rate is reported to be 39.3 percent, with a median household income of $25,190. Mr. Whitting says that the odds have been stacked against him since the day he was born. At the age of 17, just before he could begin his senior year of high school, Mr. Whitting was sentenced as an adult to 15 years in a state prison.
Mr. Whitting had to learn to adjust quickly to his new environment while simultaneously navigating his own trauma and anger. Ultimately, this frustration would give way to a period of ardent, self-educating and self-exploration.
To continue reading Mr. Whitting's inspirational story and his journey to becoming a storyteller, motivational speaker, proud father and advocate for the transformative power of love, please
click here.
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Need help building capacity?
Become a part of
NLADA’s AmeriCorps VISTA
program by applying to be a Host Site. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but spots will fill up fast!
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An Update on NLADA's Project to Advance Civil Legal Aid Collaborations
PACC
is planning two webinar series for 2020 – one focused on reentry and workforce development and another focused on serving victims of crime. In February NLADA will host two webinars on victims of crime, highlighting legal aid’s work in elder justice, including models funded by the Legal Assistance Enhancement Program, as well as parent and child representation models that can be supported with Title IV-E funding.
NLADA also is currently building a cloud-based database where legal aid providers can share grant applications, sample MOUs, presentations and other helpful documents with each other. The database will be password protected and administered centrally by NLADA staff. For more information about this or the upcoming webinars, email
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New Client Representatives Join NLADA Civil Council
NLADA welcomes two new Client Representatives to our Civil Council:
Mr. Larry E. Carlton and Ms. Leonor Cortez.
Mr. Carlton is an AmeriCorps VISTA alumni and has been a community advocate and volunteer for over 20 years for the low-income and disadvantaged people of Polk County. Ms. Cortez is the former VP of Birth-to-Five Head Starts' Policy Council and a community activist who has served on NLADA's Latino Section for 9 years. She represents Regions V and VI.
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2020 NLADA Lifelong Learning Calendar
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Mark your calendars! Here is a list of the learning opportunities we have in store for you this year.
Click here
for more details.
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January
Appellate Defender Training
January 16-19
New Orleans, LA
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June
Holistic Defense & Leadership Conferences
June 1-5
Baltimore, MD
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March
Life in the Balance Conference
March 3 -6
Biloxi, MI
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July
Litigation & Advocacy Leaders Conference
July 10-13, Charleston, SC
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May
Equal Justice Conference
May 7-9
Atlanta, GA
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November
NLADA Annual Conference
November 11-14
National Farmworker Law Conference
November 11-13
Arlington, VA
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Save the Date!
Please join us as we celebrate the NLADA community and our tremendous efforts on behalf of access to justice! S
ponsorship and special recognition opportunities are available.
June 9, 2020
InterContinental Washington D.C. - The Wharf
Stay tuned for more information about the :
- Beacon of Justice Award nomination process
- 2020's Exemplar Awardees
- Kutak-Dodds nomination package
- Second Annual Social Justice Art Auction
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Member Corner
Calling all NLADA Members:
Begin this new decade with access to the top tools, resources support that will help you serve your clients in the coming years.
Renew your NLADA Membership today to keep access with member-exclusive networks, resources & tools!
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