Like other natural disasters, the legal impact from Hurricane Ida is expected to last for years.

With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida on Sept. 1, LASP continues to work on Hurricane Ida cases, and will continue efforts related to Hurricane Ida in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, thanks to a disaster relief supplemental grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

LSC's 2018 Report of the LSC Disaster Task Force discusses the importance of integrating legal recovery with overall disaster recovery. The report notes, "The recovery process does not end in the weeks immediately following the disaster. Instead, it may extend for many years, and community organizations may be faced with aiding survivors with long-term issues including contractor fraud, insurance and benefit issues, title disputes, social service eligibility disputes, replacement of significant documents, and housing issues such as evictions and foreclosures." (page 7)

The report also notes, "...low-income survivors are typically the hardest hit by a disaster and will face significant obstacles in their path to recovery."

Long-term legal issues arising after a natural disaster can include:

For more information on LASP's disaster legal aid grant from LSC, please see our website News article.

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) celebrated 30 years of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Internship Program on July 27 at the Hilton Harrisburg. This summer, LASP's Doylestown Office hosted Salem Amare, a 2023 J.D. candidate at William and Mary Law School. At the recognition reception, Salem shared an excerpt from her essay, "Planting Seeds of Service," published in The Drum Major - Class of 2022 Essay Collection. Read the full essay at: lasp.org/news/planting-seeds-of-service-2022.

2021-22 LIHEAP recipients to receive an extra $250-$500 in August to help with higher energy costs, going directly to heat or utility vendor

If you received help from LIHEAP during the 2021-22 season, you will receive an extra $250-$500 to help pay current bills, past due bills, or future heat or utility costs. The payments are scheduled to be paid in August, and will go directly to your energy or utility company to credit your account. The PA Dept. of Human Services (DHS) announced the extra funding for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program recipients on Aug. 1.

You will receive this money if you received a LIHEAP cash or crisis benefit during the 2021-22 LIHEAP season (October 2021 to June 2022):

A notice will be be sent to eligible households. It will say that the supplement is being issued, the amount, and the name of the vendor that is getting the supplement on the household’s behalf.

This supplement will NOT impact eligibility for LIHEAP in the upcoming 2022-23 LIHEAP season. LIHEAP applications for 2022-23 will open in fall 2022. If you need help with heat or electric, gas, or water bills now, please check with your utility company's customer assistance program.

Click graphic above, or here for website News article.

Pennsylvanians who are approved for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2021 will receive an additional one-time bonus rebate starting in early September 2022. The one-time bonus rebate will be 70% of your original rebate amount. Gov. Tom Wolf announced the bonus rebate Aug. 2.

If you have already filed your rebate application for the 2021 claim year, the PA Dept. of Revenue states, “You do not need to take any additional action to receive the one-time bonus rebates. If you have already filed your rebate application for the 2021 claim year, the Dept. of Revenue will take care of everything on the back end. You will receive your one-time bonus rebate through the same method (check or direct deposit) that you opted to receive your original rebate.”

If you have NOT filed your rebate application, the deadline is Dec. 31, 2022. The Dept. of Revenue notes: “Yes, there is time to file an application through the remainder of the year. The deadline to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2021 was extended to Dec. 31, 2022. The department strongly encourages eligible claimants to use myPATH to file their applications online.”

In March, the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA)’s Legal Services to the Public Committee presented the Samuel W. Milkes Award to two LASP pro bono attorneys, Lyn B. Schoenfeld and Albert P. Massey, Jr.

The award is named for Sam Milkes, retired longtime legal aid advocate and former executive director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN). The PBA website notes, "The Milkes Award will be an occasional award of the PBA Legal Services to the Public Committee that is to be given to such individuals and groups as the committee, from time to time, determines have provided unique service that has resulted in significant improvement in the access to justice of the neediest among us."

Thank you to Shannon K. McDonald, Esq. for sharing your expertise at a presentation for LASP attorneys and staff, and attorneys from the private bar! On Aug. 2, Shannon presented an informative virtual CLE on when and how to draft private dependency petitions.

She is an appeals and defense attorney who also serves as a Guardian ad Litem and children's attorney in dependency court. She is the Mental Health Review Officer in Chester County. Based in West Chester, she has been a sole practitioner for almost 11 years. In the past, she has worked for businesses, trial courts, for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and as a defense lawyer in an appeals clinic.

Wednesdays (in-person): Pro bono attorneys needed for PFA hearings

DOYLESTOWN - Pro bono attorneys are urgently needed for Protection from Abuse (PFA) hearings on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Sign up for this unique Bucks County access to justice initiative for this date, or any Wednesday. The hearings are held at the Bucks County Justice Center, 100 N. Main St., Doylestown, PA 18901.

To volunteer to represent plaintiffs, please contact Durene McCarty, LASP Administrative Support and Assistant Pro Bono Coordinator, at dmccarty@lasp.org or 215-398-6757.

To volunteer for PFA defense, please contact the Bucks County Bar Association.

CLE: Estate, Probate and Trust Law Recent Legal Developments (in-person preferred; virtual optional)

Discussion and examination of estate, probate and trust laws, including recent legal developments.

Pro bono volunteers are needed to represent clients in custody cases in Delaware County. Volunteer attorneys have the opportunity to represent clients in a limited scope, pursuant to the PA Rules of Professional Conduct and Delaware County’s limited entry of appearance rule for pro bono attorneys. Delaware county's Rule 1012 permits attorneys to withdraw by praecipe after representation at the number of custody conferences agreed to in advance.

To learn more or to volunteer, please contact Thomas Kerstan, Staff Attorney and Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator, at tkerstan@lasp.org or 484-206-7808. Or register at lasp.org/volunteer-signup.

Aug. 22 (virtual): Delaware County Bar Association CLE: "I Don't Belong" - Imposter Syndrome in the Legal Profession

Aug. 23 (virtual): MBA CLE for attorneys: "I Don't Belong" - Imposter Syndrome in the Legal Profession

The PA Disciplinary Board posted a reminder to attorneys about Emeritus Status: "Emeritus attorneys fulfill valuable roles in the community by bolstering legal aid and other nonprofits to help close the gap between the need for and the availability of free legal services." Learn more about the Board's emeritus status program: http://bit.ly/3AFnZtO.

See the post on Facebook or Twitter.

by Max Bennett | Patch | Aug. 10, 2022 | https://bit.ly/3QeCblT

Sidebar, pages 20-21 | Montgomery Bar Association | Summer 2022 | https://bit.ly/3QymBBA

New Matter, pages 30-32 | Chester County Bar Association | 3rd Quarter 2022 | https://bit.ly/3SFxD9M

by James McGinnis | Bucks County Courier Times | July 27, 2022 | https://bit.ly/3PV62jj

by James McGinnis | Bucks County Courier Times | July 17, 2022 | https://bit.ly/3IS3Shr

Are you behind on rent or utility payments due to COVID-19? Apply NOW for help through your county. LASP's News webpage, bit.ly/rent-utility-help, has links and flyers for programs WITH EXISTING FUNDING in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Landlords and utility companies get paid through this funding, and tenants avoid eviction. Live elsewhere in PA? Find the program in your county. bit.ly/rent-utility-help

SHARON HILL - Hon. Tammi L. Forbes will host “Reentry, Resetting, and Redemption Pardon Expungement and Pardon Clinic: Part IV.” Speakers will be Celeste Trusty, Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Secretary; Saad Soliman, National Reentry Systems Subject Matter Expert; and Jonathan King, Reentry Professional. State Rep. David M. Delloso and his office will provide legislative resources and information.

After the program, attendees can meet one-on-one with a LASP attorney to discuss the specifics of their situation and learn the steps needed toward an expungement and/or pardon. Record-clearing paves the way for improved job, school and housing opportunities.

In addition to Judge Forbes, event organizers include the Board of Pardons, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA,, Safe Corridors and Keystone First. Flyer: Click here, or image above.

EXTON - Get information on PA Clean Slate in person or virtually. An attorney from Legal Aid of Southeastern PA will discuss the legal topic. Then, attendees may meet one-on-one with the attorney to discuss specifics of their situation.

This workshop series is presented in partnership with LASP, United Way of Chester County, and PA CareerLink of Chester County. For one-page flyer, click here, or image above.

ELKINS PARK - Stop by LASP’s table at Rep. Napoleon Nelson’s Senior Fair. Registration is strongly encouraged. Interested seniors can register here.

Click here, or image at right, for one-page flyer.

BROOKHAVEN - Rep. Leanne Krueger will hold a free Expungement Clinic, in partnership with the NAACP Media Area Branch and Legal Aid of Southeastern PA. LASP attorneys will provide information about criminal record expungement options and resources. There will be an opportunity to meet individually with an attorney.

EXTON - Free legal clinics are held monthly at PA CareerLink of Chester County. The next clinic will be Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at PA CareerLink, 479 Thomas Jones Way, Suite 500, Exton, PA 19380. Clinics also are scheduled the second Wednesday of the month, on Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14, 2022.

To schedule a 30-minute appointment with a LASP attorney, contact Edwina at 610-429-9400, ext. 4115 or ejohnson@uwchestercounty.org.

The clinics are a partnership between LASP, United Way of Chester County's Financial Stability Center, and PA CareerLink of Chester County.

For one-page flyer, click here, or image at right.

LANSDALE - Stop by LASP’s table at Rep. Steve Malagari's FREE Senior Fair in Lansdale! This is Rep. Malagari's third annual Senior Fair.

HONEY BROOK - Legal Aid of Southeastern PA will hold a free Legal Clinic at Honey Brook Food Pantry. LASP may be able to help with civil legal issues including foreclosure, domestic violence, family law, public benefits, consumer, veterans, expungements, and more.

LASP attorneys present PBI CLE: Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania | Basic Veterans Law; SAVE THE DATE for Dec. 7 CLE on legal issues affecting veterans & military personnel

Richard A.J. Prebil and Elizabeth Tarloski were among the presenters at a Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) CLE, Basic Veterans Law, on Aug. 4. They are LASP's Veterans Advocacy Project Staff Attorneys. About 140 people attended the CLE, which was presented as a hybrid live webcast, with some attending virtually and others in person at bar associations across the state.

Prebil is on the planning committee for the three-part series. Part 3 will be Dec. 7 and will cover legal issues affecting veterans and military personnel. For details on the CLE and how to become an Accredited VA Representative beforehand, visit PBI's website: https://bit.ly/3Quv1K0.

NORRISTOWN - Laurel Anderson joined LASP in May as a Staff Attorney in the Community Engagement Unit. Laurel is a 2019 graduate of American University Washington College of Law. During law school, she represented an adult who received a sentence equivalent to life without parole, as well as juveniles in pending delinquency cases through the law school’s Juvenile Life without Parole and Criminal Justice Clinics. Additionally, she taught constitutional law to high school students through the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. She interned for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, the District of Columbia Office of Police Complaints and the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office. After law school, Laurel clerked for Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Greenberg in Montgomery County, Maryland and, most recently, she served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. Laurel can be reached at (484) 206-8268 or landerson@lasp.org.

CHESTER City - Christina Cozzetto joined LASP as a Staff Attorney in the Regional Housing Unit in May. Christina completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University and graduated from Villanova Law School in 2014. After law school, Christina worked at a private firm handling foreclosure defense cases in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. She also has experience handling quiet title, zoning, landlord/tenant, residential and commercial property tax, and other real property matters. In addition to her housing work, Christina has handled wills, powers of attorney and estate matters. Christina can be reached at 610-672-4258 or ccozzetto@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Erika Felpel joined LASP in June as a Paralegal and is working with the Pro Bono Program, helping to identify cases that can be referred to pro bono attorneys during the intake process and assisting with pro bono projects in all four counties. She is based with the Helpline in the Norristown Office. Erika graduated in May from Temple University with a degree in psychology and criminal justice. As an intern with the Lebanon Sexual Assault Resource and Counselling Center, she worked on the trauma and crisis hotline number taking calls and directly serving clients in crisis. Working with experienced trauma counselors, she shadowed various intakes, clinical support groups and family-based therapy groups. She also shadowed many prevention education groups and programs serving children ages 2-18. As an intern at the Temple University Resiliency Resource Center, she worked with other students to create workshops and presentations about anxiety, depression, online burnout, and relationships to give to students in need. She also interned for the crisis line at Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) in Philadelphia, where she handled sexual assault and domestic violence cases. Erika studied abroad in Rome for a semester and was a Community Service Representative for the Residential Housing Association in 2018-19. As an assistant for the Best Kept Secrets Tour from 2019-21, Erika handled communications between small businesses, optimized data, and handled social media. She can be reached at 484-275-0672 or efelpel@lasp.org.

CHESTER City - Ruth Jones joined LASP in July 2022 as Veterans Paralegal/Administrative Support. She is based in Chester City with the Veterans Advocacy Project. She will earn her Associate degree in Paralegal Studies from Delaware County Community College in the spring. In a paralegal internship with Alpha Omega Law Firm from January-May 2022, she conducted client interviews, followed up with clients, and organized and drafted client documents. For Main Line Telecommunications, Ruth worked for the Inbound call center and the answering service for Crozer Keystone Health Systems. Most recently, Ruth served as Delaware County Voter Registration Clerk, updating voter records in accordance with the state system, preparing and distributing packets of election materials to polling places, and checking materials returned; she also worked as a file clerk for Philadelphia Voter Services in 2015 and has held multiple roles in customer service. She can be reached at 484-212-5926 or rjones@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Reid Kemena joined LASP in February as a Staff Attorney in the Regional Housing Unit, working in the Chester city office. In June, he moved to the Norristown Office to focus on landlord-tenant and eviction matters. Reid brings significant courtroom and litigation experience to LASP. He handled commercial and residential property disputes at Cohen Marraccini LLC in Southampton and, most recently, worked at Enumero Law P.C. analyzing and mapping landlord-tenant law and processes nationwide. At Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, he was involved in all aspects of compliance and risk management, facilitated internal investigations into alleged conflicts, and responded to discovery requests and subpoenas on behalf of the firm. Reid holds a J.D. from Widener University and a B.A. in political science and government from West Chester University. He can be reached at 484-249-0887 or rkemena@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Alison Toner Maxwell joined LASP in June as a Helpline Paralegal and is based in the Norristown Office. Alison graduated in May from Lafayette College with a B.A. in history and minor in psychology. Her history thesis was titled, “The Death of a Child: Public Health in Progressive Era Massachusetts.” As intern with the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, she compiled files and contacted defendants and defendants’ attorneys to share evidence with all parties. At Lafayette's Landis Center for Community Engagement, she served as Assistant Director of the Mentoring and Companionship Team from 2019-22, creating the school’s first-ever Disabilities Awareness Week. She helped lead a team of seven other Program Coordinators to develop a virtual Holiday Helpers program, which provided local Easton families with gifts and supplies during the holiday season. Alison also served as Program Coordinator for Homework Helpers at Mary Meuser Library, leading college volunteers to help local elementary students with their homework. She was an Admissions Ambassador and Office Worker for Lafayette's Office of Admissions, Rita's Water Ice Montgomeryville shift manager, and Alpha Gamma Delta's Vice President of Administration. She can be reached at 484-416-4290, ext. 1003 or amaxwell@lasp.org.

CHESTER City - Kathryn R. Pietragallo joined LASP in April as a Staff Attorney in the Regional Housing Unit. Kate completed her undergraduate studies at West Chester University with a degree in political science/international relations and a minor in Arabic, and she is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Law School. She studied at the Modern Language Center in Amman, Jordan in summer 2018. During law school, Kate interned with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and Pitt Law’s Immigration Law Clinic. After law school, Kate spent three months as a legal fellow at Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity where she handled expungement and pardon matters. After her fellowship, Kate worked as an immigration attorney representing clients in front of the Department of Homeland Security. She can be reached at 610-850-7400 or kpietragallo@lasp.org.

BRISTOL - Dominick Resto-Harper joined LASP as a Paralegal in the Bristol Office in December. Dominick is currently a student at Peirce College in the Paralegal Studies Bachelor to Juris Doctor program. He earned his Associate degree in Paralegal Studies from Delaware County Community College in May. He interned with LASP's Community Engagement Unit in fall 2021. Fluent in Spanish, he managed the DCCC Law Day presentation on gentrification, placing second in the first group to present at the otherwise individual competition. At DCCC's Expungement Clinic with LASP, he provided attorneys with case memos containing clients' criminal records and communicated with clients to provide needed paperwork. An alumnus of West York High School in York, PA, he has conducted market research for Survey.com, and worked as a lifeguard, personal trainer and bartender/server. He can be reached at 484-275-0558 or dresto-harper@lasp.org.

Job descriptions & how to apply: lasp.org/careers

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