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Tickets are available! Fête for Justice! May 19, 2022
- PLAN Excellence Award honors Debbie & Randy Blough
- Chester Co. Mobile Home tax reassessments ~ 2022 flyers
- Hurricane Ida / Swift Current Initiative: Apply April 1-Oct. 3, 2022
- Meet 3 new LASP board members
- Veterans partnership with Community Action Agency of Delaware Co.
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Resources: PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate, Child Tax Credit, FCC Affordable Connectivity Program, PAHAF, rent & utility assistance
- April outreach | Staff News | Job announcements | & more
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20+ Fête for Justice! 4 Freedoms, 4 Counties, 4 Justice!
Tickets are available!
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Join Legal Aid of Southeastern PA at the Fête for Justice! 4 Freedoms, 4 Counties, 4 Justice! on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Tickets are now available at LASP20.org (orange button, top right corner)! We will celebrate 20+ years of service, and honor 40+ individuals at Normandy Farm, Blue Bell, from 6-10 p.m. Buy tickets and learn about sponsorship opportunities at our event website: LASP20.org
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LASP staff join PLAN Excellence Award winners Debbie and Randy Blough and daughter Kelly Blough after the ceremony at Hilton Harrisburg. From left: Kelly (back row), Debbie and Randy Blough; Kesha James, Deputy Director for Advocacy; Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director; Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney and Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator; Christina Drzal, Regional Housing Unit Supervising Attorney; and Marion Hoffman Fraley, Communications Director. |
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Debbie & Randy Blough spark mobile home project;
receive 2022 PA Legal Aid Network Excellence Award for Lay Advocacy
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HARRISBURG - Retired scientists Debbie and Randy Blough were honored March 22 with the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) Excellence Award for Lay Advocacy. (They are pictured at right with their daughter, Kelly Blough, at Hilton Harrisburg.)
In 2018, while volunteering for Honey Brook Food Pantry in Chester County, Debbie and Randy discovered that mobile homes are overtaxed. They researched the problem and successfully appealed 22 tax assessments on their own.
Since then, Debbie and Randy have worked with Legal Aid of Southeastern PA and United Way of Chester County to develop the Chester County Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Project. From 2019-21, the partnership has helped 756 residents save an average of $883 per year per home, or almost $10.7 million over 10 years.
“This project would not exist without the Bloughs' inspired lay advocacy to help Chester County residents,” said Rachel Houseman, LASP Chester County Managing Attorney.
In accepting their PLAN Excellence Award, Randy said, "Thank you for this honor. My greatest pleasure in the early stages of this campaign was working hand-in-hand with my wonderful wife, Debbie. We both deeply appreciate the Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania and United Way picked up our fledgling effort with their fine leadership, enthusiasm and exceptional talent. Although the project continues into 2022, a huge amount of work remains, some of it uncharted, before we can say that all mobile home owners are fairly taxed. So we're hoping others might look at this issue, see the moral imperative and decide if you could play a role."
Debbie noted, "Our clients are wholesome folks. Many struggle paycheck to paycheck. These are the homeowners who are the least able to afford and suffer over-taxation. ...Thank you. Let's keep going."
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2022 Chester County Mobile Home project |
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Chester County Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Project is back for 2022! |
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The Chester County Mobile Home Tax Reassessment project is a partnership between United Way of Chester County, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, LCH Health and Community Services, and local food pantries. Together, partners help mobile home owners in Chester County file for property tax reassessment appeals. United Way of Chester County pays the fees on behalf of the homeowners in the program, and LASP provides the legal assistance.
Mobile homes depreciate over time, but the tax authority does not lower your assessment unless you appeal. From 2019-2021, this project helped file 756 successful appeals, lowered assessments by 70%, saved each mobile home owner an average of $883 on their annual taxes, and collectively saved homeowners almost $6.7 million over the next 10 years.
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Hurricane Ida: New Swift Current Initiative |
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PA receives $5 million to support flood mitigation following Hurricane Ida; apply April 1 - Oct. 3, 2022 |
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that Pennsylvania will receive $5 million in federal funding to support mitigation efforts against future damage from natural disasters, through the Swift Current Initiative. The application period for Swift Current opens April 1, 2022, and closes Oct. 3, 2022. Check with county government to learn about any earlier deadlines they may have.
Homeowners who are interested in this program should contact their local municipality or county emergency management agency for more information.
If homeowners experience issues, they can reach out to Tom Hughes at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency at 717-651-2726 or thughes@pa.gov.
Resources:
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Welcome to new LASP board members! |
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Three new members of LASP's Board of Directors were elected at the February board meeting. |
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Karen Barton is a new LASP Board member based in Newtown, Bucks County. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Journalism from Temple University, and a graduate level teacher certification from Rider University. She also studied at Chapman University in Orange, California. Karen had a long career in the newspaper business, with roles in advertising and marketing at The Times of Trenton, Greater Philadelphia Newspapers / Calkins in Levittown, The Intelligencer / Calkins Media Group in Doylestown, Philadelphia Inquirer, Bucks County Herald, and Times Publishing of Langhorne. She also held sales and marketing roles for Packet Publications in Princeton and Valassis, headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.
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Patricia Chick joins the Board of Directors from Drexel Hill in Delaware County. She is currently retired. Formerly, she was a substitute teacher for the Delta T-Group for the Delaware County Intermediate Group, where she instructed students from Head Start through eighth grade. She also served as Special Education Tutor in Upper Darby, for a behaviorally/emotionally challenged special needs student. She taught kindergarten to sixth grade at Miramar Elementary School in Miramar, Florida, and kindergarten to third grade at Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia. Patricia holds a B.S. in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Florida and an M.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Medical Supply Specialist from 1980-86 and has a Practitioner Certification II from the Professional Crisis Management Association. |
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Christin Kubacke joined LASP's Board of Directors in February. Christin works with the West Chester law firm Morton & Kubacke Family Law, LLC. Her practice areas include divorce, family law, Protection from Abuse, child custody, child support, spousal support, visitation rights, domestic violence, premarital agreements, and paternity. She was a Chester County Assistant District Attorney from 2006-2012. Christin holds a J.D. from Widener University, cum laude; and was a member of Phi Delta Phi and the National Legal Honor Society. She is a member of the Doris Freed Inn of Court, Chester County Bar Association (CCBA) and Pennsylvania Bar Association. Christin has served on the Board of Directors for the CCBA and Chester County Bar Foundation. She is presently co-chair of the CCBA Pro Bono Committee. She also is a former board member for the Crime Victims' Center of Chester County. |
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Bar association CLEs & events |
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Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) |
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April 4 CLE: Introduction to Trauma Informed Advocacy & the PA Veterans Treatment Court: Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania: Part I
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Join the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) and Pennsylvania Bar Association Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee for Part One of the three-part series, Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania. Presenters on Monday, April 4 will include LASP's Richard Prebil, Veterans Advocacy Project Staff Attorney. Other presenters: Hon. Lisa M. Grayson; Wesley R. Payne IV, Esq., White and Williams LLP (Philadelphia); and Stephan K. Todd, Esq.
Become an Accredited VA Representative before the next session to have the course count toward your VA CLE requirement. Visit PBI's website for more information.
Save the date for Parts Two and Three:
- Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022: Basic Veterans Law
- Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022: Legal Issues Affecting Military Personnel
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PA Legal Aid Network (PLAN) & Bucks County Bar Association |
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April 5 CLE: Objection: An interactive educational experience on diversity and bias issues in the legal profession (virtual)
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The CLE Board has collaborated with the Carnegie Mellon Entertainment and Technology Center to develop an interactive training on diversity, inclusion and anti-bias. Objection is an interactive facilitator-led program where participants explore realistic workplace situations and contemplate the issues, viewpoints and ethical principles at play. Group discussion will follow the 90-minute program. This course offers 1.5 Ethics CLE credits.
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Montgomery Bar Association |
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April 5 CLE: Ladies in Leadership: Women Presidents Panel (in-person)
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Tuesday, April 5 from 4-6 p.m. (in-person) (program 4-5 p.m.; reception 5-6 p.m.)
- Location: Montgomery Bar Association CLE room, 100 W. Airy St., Norristown, PA 19401
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Register here: https://bit.ly/3DtZJ0s (free)
For the first time, all four bar association presidents in Zone 9 (Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties) are women, as is the PA Bar Association president. This will be the first time the five have spoken together regarding leadership, work/life balance, post-COVID challenges to the Bar, focuses for their years as presidents, and their unique paths to success.
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Veterans Advocacy Project |
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Through partnership with CAADC, LASP provides housing and income stabilizing advocacy for veteran families in Delaware County |
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BOOTHWYN - Legal Aid of Southeastern PA's Veterans Advocacy Project has partnered with the Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Inc.'s (CAADC) Veterans Program to provide free legal services to veterans in Delaware County who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. Through this partnership, LASP provides housing and income stabilizing advocacy for veteran families in Delaware County. LASP advocates provide legal assistance in the areas of landlord/tenant, Social Security, VA benefits, military discharge upgrades, bankruptcy, expungements, and much more.
CAADC provides supportive services and housing assistance to veteran families in Delaware County experiencing a housing crisis through the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program, which helps veteran families transition to permanent and stable housing.
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Board of Pardons, LASP & Safe Corridors present:
Pardon Symposium & Clinic
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Reentry, Resetting, & Redemption April 21 at Widener |
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CHESTER - Join the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA , and Safe Corridors for “Reentry, Resetting, and Redemption: Pardon Symposium and Clinic: Part III” on Thursday, April 21 from 6-8 p.m. at the Kapelski Learning Center at Widener University, 658 E. 14th St, Chester, PA 19013. (Click here, or image at right, for half-page PDF flyer.)
Registration is required! Please register by emailing Stacey Mandel at staceylmandel@gmail.com or contacting Megan Reinprecht at 484-206-8101 or mreinprecht@lasp.org.
Speakers will be Celeste Trusty, Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Secretary, and Saad Soliman, National Reentry Systems Subject Matter Expert. Jonathan Abdur-Rahim King, Reentry Professional, is event organizer.
After the program, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with a Legal Aid of Southeastern PA advocate to discuss how the pardon process or other record-clearing options may fit their individual situation.
Questions? Please contact Megan Reinprecht, LASP Community Engagement Unit Staff Attorney, at 484-206-8101 or mreinprecht@lasp.org.
Thank you to event sponsors!
Aivazoglou & Mikropolous, Attorneys at Law; Amachi Chester Mentoring Program; Big Var’s Water Ice; Cavalry Cleaning Services LLC; Chester Cultural Arts & Technology Center; Chester Housing Authority; Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods, Chester Peace Initiative; City of Chester; CMP Radio; Creative Artist Support Team; Crown Me Fit; Delaware County District Attorney's Office, Delaware County Public Defender’s Office; Dream Event Space; EDSI; Elite Facility Services; Emir Healing Center; The Empowerment Management Group, LLC; State Sen. John Kane; Keystone First; State Rep. Brian Kirkland; Madison’s Place; Making a Change Group; Mom’s Deli; MVP Recovery; Nemex Landscaping; Positive Potential Project; Riverside Futures; Sanai Dior Ballroom and Wedding Chapel; Servicemaster Clean; Single Mothers Are Really Trying (SMART); Swarthmore College Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, Tandem; Trippley Foundation; and Urban Inequality and Incarceration (UII), Swarthmore Language Center.
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Expungement Clinic at Folcroft Borough Hall
State Rep. David Delloso and LASP held an Expungement and Pardon Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 to help community members learn if record expungement might be an option for them. LASP's Community Engagement Unit (CEU) helped 26 people address "next steps" and timelines for clearing their records. Pictured (from left): Jessica Downes, LASP intern; Megan Reinprecht, CEU Staff Attorney; Erica Briant, CEU Supervising Attorney; Rep. Delloso; Nicholas Harris, Penn law student and volunteer; Ariel Smith, Penn law student and volunteer; Danielle Paterno, LASP intern; Natalie Reynolds, Penn law student and volunteer; and Joshua Burd, Penn law student and volunteer.
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Chester County Bar Association Presidents' Dinner
NEWTOWN SQUARE - Several LASP attorneys attended the Chester County Bar Association Presidents' Dinner March 11. The event honored Samuel Cortes, 2020 CCBA President, and John Fiorillo, Chester County Bar Foundation President. It was held at Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square. LASP staff pictured (from left): Sara Planthaber, Staff Attorney; Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney & Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator; Jennifer Pierce, Pro Bono Director; and Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director.
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Delaware County Bar Association
148th-149th Annual Dinner
NEWTOWN SQUARE - The Delaware County Bar Association hosted its 148th-149th Annual Dinner March 25 at Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square. The event honored Past Presidents Karen E. Friel and Robert F. Kelly, Jr., and welcomed incoming President Carrie A. Woody. PBA president Kathleen D. Wilkinson presented the Samuel W. Milkes Award for improvement in the access to justice to Lyn B. Schoenfeld, former LASP Board member. The annual dinner also kicked off the DCBA's 150th anniversary year. Pictured (from left): William Baldwin, DCBA Executive Director and LASP Board President; Jennifer Pierce, LASP Pro Bono Director; Jacqueline Csop, DCBA Receptionist, Pro Bono Coordinator & Lawyer Referral; Thomas Kerstan, LASP Staff Attorney and Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator; and Shawn Boehringer, LASP Executive Director.
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by James McGinnis | Bucks County Courier Times & Doylestown Intelligencer | Sunday, March 26, 2022, Page 1 | https://bit.ly/3Nx9UGy
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PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program |
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Rebate can provide up to $975 to homeowners and renters |
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Pennsylvania homeowners and renters may qualify for the state Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which can provide $650-$975. The program is through the Pennsylvania Dept. of Revenue.
Get up to $975, if:
- Your income is under $35,000 (homeowners) or $15,000 (renters).
- Note: Half of Social Security is excluded.
AND
- You are age 65 or over as of Dec. 31, 2021
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You are a widow/widower age 50 or over, OR
- You are disabled and age 18 or over
Apply by June 30, 2022. Call 1-888-222-9190 to request a form, or visit revenue.pa.gov/PTRR. More information + Dept. of Revenue flyer at LASP's website News article.
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File your 2021 taxes, even if you had $0 in income |
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It's tax time, and it's especially important to file your 2021 tax return, even if you had $0 in income.
The American Rescue Plan, which became law in March 2021, provided a third stimulus check and three major tax cuts for working families, including transformational changes to the Child Tax Credit. It increased the maximum credit amount to $3,600 per child for kids ages 0-5 and $3,000 per child for kids ages 6-17. The economic relief bill also made the Child Tax Credit fully refundable for 2021 — meaning even families with $0 in income last year can claim the Child Tax Credit if they have children who qualify.
For local resources for families to find free help for taxes, see LASP's website News story.
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New help for homeowners impacted by COVID-19 |
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Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) is open; apply now! |
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A new homeowner assistance program, the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF), opened Feb. 1. It provides financial assistance to help low-income Pennsylvania homeowners pay mortgage and housing-related expenses to avoid delinquency, default, foreclosure, or displacement.
Specifically, the program will assist Pennsylvania homeowners facing financial hardship due to COVID-19, whose household income is at or below 150% of the area median income (AMI).
Eligibility information, including income guidelines, are at LASP's website News story. Click image at right for one-page flyer.
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FCC program offers discount for internet access |
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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service and connected devices. The program is offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
This benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. Income guidelines are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, at www.fcc.gov/acp, or by calling 877-384-2575. Click for one-page PDF flyer: English | Spanish
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Eviction prevention: Apply now for rental asstance! |
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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 coun ty. bit.ly/rent-utility-help
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Help with water and heating |
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Water assistance program (LIHWAP) & winter heating flyers |
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The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of a cash grant. The 2021-22 program opened Oct. 18, 2021, and will close May 6, 2022. For eligibility and how to apply, including in-person locations in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, see the article and downloadable flyer on LASP's website News page
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In-person: Monthly Legal Clinic in Exton April 12, May 10 & June 14
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EXTON - A free legal clinic is held monthly at PA CareerLink of Chester County. The spring 2022 clinics will be the second Tuesday through June: April 12, May 10 and June 14. Each clinic will be from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at PA CareerLink, 479 Thomas Jones Way, Suite 500, Exton, PA 19380.
To schedule a 30-minute appointment with a LASP attorney, contact Valerie at 610-429-9400, ext. 4116 or vconnors@uwchestercounty.org.
The clinics are a partnership between LASP, United Way of Chester County's Financial Stability Center, and PA CareerLink of Chester County.
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Virtual: Montgomery County Custody Clinic April 12
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Legal Aid of Southeastern PA will hold a Montgomery County Virtual Custody Clinic on Tuesday, April 12 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Who we can help at the FREE clinic:
- Parents only (no grandparents or extended family members). Assistance is for Montgomery County cases only. Provide a copy of the most recent custody order, if there is one.
- Parents must meet financial eligibility for LASP. Please register first (details below).
- The clinic is open to 20 parents.
How to register
Sign up at this Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/custody-clinic-4-12-2022. After registration, a link will be e-mailed with forms to complete. Fill out the needed information and a legal aid advocate will contact you with next steps. To register by phone or ask a question about the clinic, please contact Kathryn Palladino, Staff Attorney, at 484-209-0892 or kpalladino@lasp.org.
What to expect
Parents will meet with an attorney in a private Zoom breakout room for 20 minutes. The attorney will give brief legal advice regarding custody. After the clinic, a LASP advocate will follow up with you. Participants will receive documents and directions on how to file with the court on their own. Click here, or image above, for one-page flyer.
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with Montgomery County Public Defender's Office
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The weekly clinic hours are intended to be a virtual version of the “walk-in” intake hours LASP offered before COVID-19. People can log onto Zoom and talk individually with Lily, one-on-one.
When: Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m.
Who: Montgomery County Public Defender clients
Where: Virtual
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From the Zoom app: Click join meeting, enter Meeting ID: 874 9396 5977
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Call in: Dial 929-205-6099 on your phone, and enter the Meeting ID above.
- Computer: https://tinyurl.com/LASPandPD. (If you enter this URL on your smartphone, you will be be asked to download the zoom app.)
NOTE: Montgomery County Public Defender clients also can call LASP's Helpline for civil legal issues (housing, family, public benefits, employment issues, and more), especially if they have a pressing deadline of seven days or less from any Wednesday. The Helpline, 877-429-5994, is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Questions? Contact Lily Austin, Esq., Independence Fellow, at laustin@lasp.org.
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Kimberly Hollenback named Regional VOCA Supervising Attorney & Media Office Managing Attorney |
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MEDIA - Kimberly Hollenback is LASP’s Regional VOCA Supervising Attorney as of April 1, 2022. She will replace Jennifer Pierce, who was named LASP Pro Bono Director in December. Kimberly also has been named Media Office Managing Attorney. She joined LASP's Delaware County division in August 2018 as a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Attorney based in the Media office. She will continue to be based in Media and to work with clients in obtaining Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders. "I'm from Delaware County and still live here, so I'm happy to be able to serve fellow Delco residents," she said.
Kim holds a J.D. from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. In addition to her academic accolades, she also won Outstanding Pro Bono Service Honors and was Domestic Violence Law Society Vice President and a founder. She served as law clerk to Hon. Ronald Susswein, Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer Vicinage, in Trenton. Kim has worked for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office in Media, and for the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania. Her B.S. in criminal justice, magna cum laude, is also from Drexel. She can be reached at khollenback@lasp.org or 484-249-0949.
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NORRISTOWN - Melina Dixon joined LASP Dec. 1 as a Staff Attorney in the Norristown Office. Melina holds a J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School and a B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, from West Chester University. During law school Melina interned with LASP’s Community Engagement Unit and at the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office. Prior to law school, Melina was an AmeriCorps member; a special education teacher for Catapult Learning Inc.; and history teacher for Mathematics, Civics, and Sciences Charter School in Philadelphia. She was a board member on Asia Adam’s Foundation from June 2014–June 2016 and is a member of the Widener Delaware Law School Black Alumni Network. She can be reached at mdixon@lasp.org or 484-275-0463.
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Current openings
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Community Engagement Unit Staff Attorney, Norristown
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Regional Pro Bono Paralegal - Norristown
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Veterans Advocacy Project Paralegal/Administrative Support Staff - Chester city/Delaware County
- West Chester VOCA Staff Attorney
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Regional Housing Unit Staff Attorney – Chester city/Delaware County
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Helpline Paralegal/Administrative Support Staff – Norristown/Montgomery County
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If you received e-news as a forward or found it on social media, please subscribe at lasp.org/enews or email Marion Hoffman Fraley, Communications Director, at mfraley@lasp.org.
E-news is published 11-12 times per year.
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Legal Aid of Southeastern PA
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Copyright ©2022. All Rights Reserved. |
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