Newsletter
July 11, 2022
In this Issue:
  • Legal Aid Golf Classic! Thank you to Montgomery Bar Foundation & Association!
  • LASP’s work on Hurricane Ida will continue, with a disaster relief grant from Legal Services Corp.
  • PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program: Deadline extended to Dec. 31
  • Bucks County PFA hearings: pro bono bono attorneys needed
  • Veterans attorneys to present PBI CLE Aug. 4
  • LASP in the community
  • July-August outreach | Job announcements
2022 Legal Aid Golf Classic
Thank you to Montgomery Bar Foundation
& Montgomery Bar Association, sponsors, golfers & supporters!
BLUE BELL - The 2022 Legal Aid Golf Classic on Monday, June 27 featured a "bit" of a rain deluge, causing the first rain/lightning delay in many years. But golfers returned to the course at Cedarbrook Country Club with a modified nine-hole contest and in the evening, joined other supporters for a reception and fundraising dinner, featuring a silent auction, raffle prizes, and more.

LASP sends a huge THANK YOU to the Montgomery Bar Foundation, Montgomery Bar Association, all sponsors, golfers and supporters who organized and attended this year's Golf Classic!

Proceeds from the event, along with a contribution from the Montgomery Bar Foundation, are donated to LASP.

Photos!
Hurricane Ida
LASP’s work on Hurricane Ida will continue, with a disaster relief grant from Legal Services Corp.
LASP will continue efforts related to Hurricane Ida in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, thanks to a disaster relief supplemental grant from Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

In a June 22 press release, LSC president Ronald S. Flagg stated, “Low-income people who confront civil legal issues in the wake of natural disasters face an uphill battle, and they shouldn’t have to go it alone. We are grateful that Congress recognizes the need for legal assistance in these recovering communities and provided this funding that will help our neighbors repair and stay in their homes, obtain key identification documents, apply for benefits and so much more.”

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon wrote in a July 2 Tweet. "In the wake of Hurricane Ida, many Pennsylvanians facing civil legal issues are struggling to rebuild without legal representation. I am grateful that @LSCtweets is awarding @LegalAidSEPA a grant to help our neighbors get the legal services they need to get back on their feet."

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said in a July 1 Tweet: "I want to thank @LSCtweets for awarding a critical grant to the @LegalAidSEPA. The funds from this grant will go towards the citizens of PA that need it most and will provide the civil legal assistance needed to put lives back on track."

U.S. Reps. Scanlon and Fitzpatrick co-chair the Congressional Access to Legal Aid Caucus.

For more information about LASP's grant, please see our website News article.
PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
Rebate can provide up to $975 to homeowners and renters
Deadline extended! Apply by Dec. 31. Pennsylvania homeowners and renters may qualify for the state Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which can provide $650-$975 to eligible homeowners and renters. 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
  • You are a widow/widower age 50 or over, OR
  • You are disabled and age 18 or over

Apply by Dec. 31, 2022. Call 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.
Bar association CLEs, events & pro bono needs
Bucks County Bar Association | LASP pro bono opportunity
Wednesdays in July & August (in-person): Pro bono attorneys needed for PFA hearings
DOYLESTOWN - Pro bono attorneys are urgently needed for Protection from Abuse (PFA) hearings at the Bucks County Justice Center, 100 N. Main St., Doylestown, PA 18901 in JULY AND AUGUST, including July 20 and 27, and Aug. 10, 17, 24 and 31.

How to volunteer for this unique Bucks County access to justice initiative
To volunteer for plaintiff, 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.
Montgomery Bar Association
July 26 (in-person): CLE for attorneys: Stuff Ya Can't Learn in Law School: Practice Points for Young Lawyers & Law Students
  • Tuesday, July 26, from 4-5 p.m. (followed by closing reception and award ceremony for Robert E. Slota, Jr. Diversity Internship and Development Program, from 5-6 p.m.)
  • at Montgomery Bar Association CLE Room, 100 W. Airy St., Norristown, PA 19401
  • Register through the Montgomery Bar Association: https://bit.ly/3Ii4yg7
  • CLE credit: 1 credit (Substantive)

Moderator: Mike J. Lyon, Esq., with speakers to be announced.

This comprehensive presentation will draw on the experiences of three to four Montgomery Bar Association Leadership Academy graduates, who will introduce and describe various practice tips for younger attorneys. The seminar will cover a number of areas essential to a successful legal practice that aren't usually taught in law school, including business and client development, mastering client and colleague interaction, internal marketing, proactivity, maintaining a work life balance, getting work you want, and more. The presenters will draw on their own real-life examples to demonstrate behavior and practices that lead to a more productive career, and conversely, those which tend to increase stress and anxiety among younger attorneys. 
Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI)
Aug. 4 (hybrid PBI CLE): Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania: Basic Veterans Law
  • Thursday, Aug. 4 from 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
  • Hybrid: live webcast or in person at Bucks, Chester, and Delaware County Bar Associations
  • Register: bit.ly/veterans-law-8-4-2022
  • Instructors include LASP Veterans Advocacy Project Staff Attorneys Richard A.J. Prebil and Elizabeth Tarloski.
  • CLE credits: 3 substantive credits

Learn the basics of veterans benefits law, from filing a claim through the appeals system. Topics: overview of the VA claims process; basic principles of veterans benefits; appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeals; appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC); and attorney fees. To become a VA accredited attorney prior to this webinar, email vets@pbi.org. 

Part III will be Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022 on Legal Issues Affecting Military Personnel.
LASP in the news
Legal Services Corp. press release | June 22, 2022 | https://bit.ly/3zXqQBo

by James McGinnis | Bucks County Courier Times & Doylestown Intelligencer | Sunday, June 9, 2022, Page 1 | https://bit.ly/3aS0mac
Other news
Eviction prevention: Apply now for rental assistance!
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
Virtual and in-person events are listed at lasp.org/events.
In-person: Chester County Mobile Home Reassessment Clinics through July 21
Get your mobile home taxes reassessed for free. In-person outreach events continue through July 21. Check below for dates and locations. See lasp.org/events for chronological list. No appointment is needed.

Please bring your title and/or other home documents (insurance documents, Bills of Sale/receipts if home purchased in 2019 or later).

Help will be available in English and Spanish.

LCH Health & Community Services
  • 105 Vineyard Way Suite #103, West Grove, PA 19390
  • Monday, July 18 | 4-6 p.m.

Oxford Library
  • 48 S. Second St., Oxford, PA 19363
  • Tuesday, July 19 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Phoenixville Public Library
  • 183 Second Ave., Phoenixville, PA 19460
  • Thursday, July 21 | 5-7 p.m.

More information about the project:
In-person: Monthly Legal Clinic in Exton July 13
EXTON - Free legal clinics are held monthly at PA CareerLink of Chester County. The next clinic will be Wednesday, July 13 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 Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14, 2022.

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.

For one-page flyer, click here, or image above.
Hybrid: Criminal Records Expungement Workshop July 14 in Exton or virtual (open to all 4 counties)
  • Thursday, July 14 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

EXTON - Get information on criminal records expungement 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.

Your choice:
  • In-person at PA CareerLink office 479 Thomas Jones Way Suite 500 Exton, PA 19380
  • Virtual: Register in advance, via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3PcXFP4. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you attend virtually, you will meet in a private Zoom room with the attorney.(Open to all counties!)

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.
In-person: Career Readiness July 15 in Chester City July 15
  • Friday, July 15 from 12-3 p.m.
  • at J. Lewis Crozer Library, 620 Engle St., Chester, PA 19013

CHESTER City - State Sen. John I. Kane and the Chester Education Foundation will present a Career Readiness event. Get free advice and help with resumes, cover letters and the job search process.

Stop by LASP's table at this event! Learn about record clearing and employment protections for people with records.

For more information, contact Sen. Kane’s office at 610-447-5845.
Virtual: Legal Aid Clinic for Norristown & Pottstown residents Aug. 2
  • Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 2-5 p.m.
  • Register in advance. Call Gio Brackbill at 717-236-9486, ext. 219.

The Community Justice Project (CJP), Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP), and Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP) invite you to attend a free Virtual Legal Aid Clinic.

Qualifying individuals can sign up for an appointment and talk one-on-one with an attorney to receive free legal help. Legal problems that may be addressed include:
  • Custody and family
  • Utilities (gas, electric, water)
  • Employment
  • Expungements and pardons
  • Landlord-Tenant and housing
  • Other legal issues
In-person: Free Legal Clinics at Honey Brook Food Pantry Aug. 10 & Sept. 28
  • Wednesday, Aug. 10 from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 4-6:30 p.m.
  • at Honey Brook Food Pantry, 5064 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344

HONEY BROOK - Legal Aid of Southeastern PA will hold free Legal Clinics 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.
In-person: Reentry, Resetting & Redemption: Expungement and Pardon Clinic: Part IV on Aug. 11
  • Thursday, Aug. 11 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
  • at Academy Park High School, 300 Calcon Hook Road, Sharon Hill, PA 19079
  • To register or ask a question about the event, please contact Jonathan King at 215-301-1064 or safecorridors@gmail.com, or George M. Mink, Jr. at 215-494-6511 or GMink37@gmail.com.

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.

After the program, attendees can meet one-on-one with a Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (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.
Virtual: Montgomery County Custody Clinic Aug. 16
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA will hold a Montgomery County Virtual Custody Clinic on Tuesday, Aug. 16 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-8-16-2022. 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.
with Montgomery County Public Defender's Office
Clients of the Montgomery County Public Defenders can join LASP Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. to get help with civil legal issues. LASP Independence Fellow Lily Austin gives details on the clinics: http://bit.ly/3cu7p60.

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
  • From the Zoom app: Click join meeting, enter Meeting ID: 874 9396 5977
  • 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.
LASP in the community
WEST GROVE - LASP staff and interns helped 15 mobile home owners apply for tax reassessments July 7 at Oxford Village in West Grove. Several more clinics are planned for July. Scroll down for details, or click here. From left: Alex Ramirez, legal intern; Sandra Ortiz, West Chester Office Manager; Sara Planthaber, Staff Attorney; Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney; and Kayleigh Williams, legal intern.
GLENSIDE - Veterans Advocacy Project Staff Attorneys Elizabeth Tarloski (not pictured) and Richard Prebil (second from left) are a part of Congresswoman Madeleine Dean's Veterans Advisory Panel, which meets quarterly. On June 29, in-person and virtually, they met to discuss issues impacting veteran clients.
ELKINS PARK - Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (at left) greets Erica Briant, Supervising Attorney of LASP's Community Engagement Unit, June 25 at an Expungement Clinic at Elkins Park Library. Rep. Dean and State Rep. Napoleon Nelson co-hosted the clinic, with LASP and the Montgomery County Public Defenders providing legal assistance. Rep. Dean noted in her Facebook post, "It was our best showing to date, and we can't wait to do another. We helped people petition for a pardon so they can live a life without barriers to education and employment, and without stigma."
Job openings
Current openings

Staff Attorneys
  • Bristol VOCA
  • West Chester VOCA
Fiscal Team
  • Fiscal Director/Controller
  • Accounting/HR Administrator
Executive Administrative Assistant
Paralegal/Admin. Support
  • Helpline

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