In an initiative launched in September, PA Pro Bono Matters enables volunteers to search for SPECIFIC opportunities for LASP and sign up directly! Check out LASP’s current opportunities at lasp.org/pa-pro-bono-matters.

IMPORTANT! Not all of LASP’s volunteer opportunities are posted, so please visit lasp.org/pro-bono to see more!

The initiative is funded through the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN). LASP and Neighborhood Legal Services are piloting this national program in Pennsylvania. The program establishes a state version of this portal which can be utilized to research volunteer opportunities across the Commonwealth. In addition, each participating organization can host its volunteer activities on its website, similar to lasp.org/pa-pro-bono-matters.

Other Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network members or prospective LASP volunteers can contact Jennifer Pierce for more information: jpierce@lasp.org or 610-756-7264.

From July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023, LASP obtained 689 PFA orders, protecting 1,636 adults and children from domestic abuse. This is an increase from 562 PFAs obtained in 2021-22.

Several LASP staff and board attended the Domestic Violence Network's training at the Montgomery Bar Association on Oct. 4. They included (from left): Jennifer Pierce, Pro Bono Director; Michael E. Kelley, Staff Attorney; Leigh Fuga, VOCA Paralegal; Noelle Gambale, Staff ; and Lindsay Childs, LASP Board of Directors. Staff will table at several DV Month events in LASP's service area in October.

LASP phone numbers to get help with domestic violence:

On Oct. 6, PA Courts released the latest state and county data on PFAs. In 2022, the number of new Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders filed statewide increased by 5% from 2021. Read the report: bit.ly/AOPC-PFAs-10-6-2023. View the data: bit.ly/PA-PFA-data. Or see the graphics below.

The inaugural Battle of the 'Burbs softball tournament, originally scheduled for Oct. 7, had to be POSTPONED due to a determination by the township and anticipated rain on Oct. 6.

Stay tuned for a new date (probably in spring).

We look forward to a friendly competition, fun event & presenting a new trophy in the future.

The event will feature the Young Lawyers Divisions of the Bucks County Bar Association, Chester County Bar Association, Delaware County Bar Association & Montgomery Bar Association!

If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Pierce at jpierce@lasp.org.

Sponsor, run or walk! 18th annual Trial Run 5K set for Sunday, Oct. 29, with optional costume contest. Join us at Wilson Farm Park!

The race will be Sunday, Oct. 29 at Wilson Farm Park, 500 Lee Road, Wayne, PA 19087. (Map apps may say Chesterbrook.) Sign-in starts at 8:15 a.m. The race begins at 9 a.m. Parking is available on-site. The starting line is the south pavilion, nearest to Route 202.

To register: https://bit.ly/TrialRun5K

Entry fee: $20 until Oct. 28. On race day: $25. Includes t-shirt, while supplies last! LASP's event webpage is lasp.org/trial-run.

To sponsor or for more information, please contact Brian Doyle, LASP Staff Attorney and Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-416-4259 x5210 or bdoyle@lasp.org.

Register now: CLEs & celebrations

BUCKS COUNTY pro bono opportunities

Volunteer attorneys are invited to help with a new eviction prevention program in Bucks County. The Bucks County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee, LASP, and the Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) are collaborating on the effort, with support from the Bucks County Dept. of Housing & Community Development. The project is occurring in Magisterial District Court 07-1-11 in Judge Corryn Kronnagel’s courtroom, located in Morrisville.

More information: website article. To learn more or sign up, contact Jennifer Pierce at jpierce@lasp.org or Megan Reinprecht at mreinprecht@lasp.org.

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

Volunteers are especially needed for:

LIMITED SCOPE opportunity, with no expectation of continued representation beyond the day of volunteer service.

To volunteer to represent plaintiffs, please contact Durene McCarty, LASP Bristol Office Manager, at dmccarty@lasp.org or 215-398-6757.

CHESTER COUNTY: Lawyers, Drugs & Money Pro Bono CLE - Oct. 24

DELAWARE COUNTY: Women in the Law Section Wine Tasting Fundraiser Oct. 19

MEDIA - Join the Delaware County Bar Association’s Women in the Law Section for a fabulous evening. Their Wine Tasting Fundraiser will feature “Spices & Sips: A Night in Central & South America.”

DELAWARE COUNTY CLE: Veterans Benefits 101, a Pro Bono Week Brown Bag Lunch & Learn

Speaker: Richard A.J. Prebil, Supervising Attorney, LASP Veterans Advocacy Project

DELAWARE COUNTY: Pro bono attorneys needed for simple divorce & custody cases

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. 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, LASP Staff Attorney and Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator, at tkerstan@lasp.org or 484-206-7808. Or register at lasp.org/volunteer-signup.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: CLE, Cocktail Reception & inaugural Keystone Pro Bono Awards ~ Oct. 25 | Why Does 'Pro Bono Matters' Matter to You? Online resources for the Pro Bono Attorney

NORRISTOWN - Join the Montgomery Bar Association's Pro Bono, Access to Justice & Community Service Committee for a CLE, Cocktail Reception & inaugural Keystone Pro Bono Awards. The CLE (1 Ethics Credit), "Why Does 'Pro Bono Matters' Matter to You? Online resources for the Pro Bono Attorney,"

Everyone will leave this session with new pro bono connections!

Presenters:

Moderator: Kathryn M. Palladino, Esq., LASP Norristown Managing Attorney & Co-Chair, MBA Pro Bono, Access to Justice & Community Service Committee

This program will be followed by a cocktail reception + award ceremony, where the inaugural Keystone Pro Bono Attorney Awards will be presented.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY pro bono opportunities

Divorce cases | Custody cases | Lansdale outreach

More details about each opportunity are at lasp.org/pro-bono. Please contact Kathryn M. Palladino, LASP Staff Attorney and Montgomery County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-209-0892, or kpalladino@lasp.org, or register at lasp.org/volunteer-signup.

The Eviction Prevention & Intervention Coalition (EPIC) started in 2017 in one courtroom in Norristown and is currently in eight Magisterial District Justice courtrooms across Montgomery County: three in Norristown, two in Pottstown, and one each in East Norriton, Jenkintown and Lansdale.

Volunteer attorneys appear in court to help those facing eviction. You can specify your courtroom location/day of service, etc. To learn more or volunteer for EPIC, please contact Michelle Dempsky, LASP Staff Attorney & lead attorney with EPIC, at mdempsky@lasp.org.

Local bar association calendars

Stay tuned for CLEs in your area of practice or pro bono service!

by Alfred Lubrano | Philadelphia Inquirer | Page 1 | Sept. 22, 2023 | https://bit.ly/Inquirer-9-22-2023

by ACLU of Pennsylvania | Oct. 5, 2023 | https://bit.ly/ACLU-10-5-2023

Delaware County Daily Times | Sept. 24, 2023 | https://bit.ly/Delco-Daily-Times-9-24-2023

by 69 News | WFMZ 69 | Sept. 21, 2023 | https://bit.ly/WFMZ-9-21-2023

PA Pro Bono Net | Aug. 4, 2023 | bit.ly/ProBonoNet-Bucks-8-2023

by Chris Ullery | Bucks County Courier Times & Doylestown Intelligencer | Sept. 18, 2023 | bit.ly/Bucks-Courier-Times-9-18-2023

by Emily Badger, Claire Cain Miller & Alicia Parlapiano | New York Times | Oct. 2, 2023 | https://bit.ly/NYT-eviction-10-2-2023

Who is Evicted in America?

by Nick Graetz, Carl Gershenson, Peter Hepburn, and Matthew Desmond | Eviction Lab | Oct. 3, 2023 | https://bit.ly/EvictionLab-10-2023

Climate change is causing more damaging ‘mid-size’ storms. Insurers are taking notice. Here’s what that means for homeowners in the Delaware Valley.

by Susan Phillips | WHYY News | Oct. 5, 2023 | https://bit.ly/WHYY-10-5-2023

"In Pennsylvania, just 1.6% of owner-occupied homes have flood insurance, according to the state’s Insurance Department."

Chester County has designated $2.7 million for the Whole-Home Repairs (WHR) program. The program will help low- to moderate-income Chester County homeowners make critical repairs so their homes are habitable, safe, accessible, and healthy.

The Chester County Dept. of Community Development will administer the program through contracts with Good Works, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, Good Neighbors Home Repair (The Whole-Home Repairs Coalition), and Housing Partnership of Chester County.

Chester County was awarded the funds for the WHR program by the PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development, using American Rescue Plan Act dollars allocated through the state budget process.

Chester County WHR program awards must be less than $25,000 and will support labor and materials needed to complete home renovation activities. Homeowners are required to meet program eligibility requirements. Approved scopes of work will include only repairs that directly address immediate health, safety, habitability, and accessibility concerns.

Applications will be accepted until all funds have been awarded to eligible applicants.

For more information, application and intake process: chesco.org/home-repairs or 610-713-8088.

NORRISTOWN - Kathryn M. Palladino, Esq. has been named LASP's Norristown Managing Attorney, effective Oct. 1. She joined LASP in August 2019 as a Staff Attorney in the Norristown Office. She handles custody, divorce, Social Security, and landlord-tenant cases for LASP. Kathryn is LASP’s Montgomery County Pro Bono Coordinator and co-chairs the Montgomery Bar Association’s Pro Bono, Access to Justice, & Community Service Committee.

She holds a J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and a B.A. in English and Political Science from Albright College. During law school, Kathryn interned with the Montgomery County Public Defender and the Villanova Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic. After law school, Kathryn developed a robust private practice, including custody, adoptions, divorce, Protection from Abuse, unemployment, dependency and expungement work. During her time as an associate at a small local firm, Kathryn volunteered for LASP and at driver’s license restoration and expungement clinics. She also volunteered for the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP) and the Montgomery County Eviction Prevention & Intervention Coalition (EPIC).

Kathryn was honored with the Montgomery Bar Association’s Henry Stuckert Miller Community Service Award in April 2023 and LASP’s Rising Star Award in June 2023. She can be reached at 484-209-0892 or kpalladino@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Noelle Gambale joined LASP's Community Engagement Unit Sept. 5 as Staff Attorney. The unit serves Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. She earned her J.D. at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and a Master's in Public Administration from Villanova's School of Graduate Arts & Sciences in May 2023. Noelle was named a Villanova Public Interest Scholar and received the Pro Bono Student Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Dorothy Day Award for Pro Bono Service.

She served as Certified Legal Intern at the Villanova Civil Justice Clinic, where she handled child custody matters, Protection from Abuse (PFA) cases, and estate administration. She also interned at the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project and the Bucks County Office of the Public Defender. Noelle earned a bachelor's degree in Criminology and Sociology from Villanova in 2019. In her role with the Office of Residence Life, she participated in diversity and inclusion efforts, organized community events, and supported residents with emotional and mental health concerns.

Gambale was an Administrative Associate at the Pennsylvania Prison Society, overseeing programs and developing resources for incarcerated individuals and their families. She has also worked at IMX Medical Management, conducting research and providing insights on worker's compensation and no-fault laws. Volunteer roles have included Editorial Assistant for the Pennsylvania Prison Society's Graterfriends publication, for Theatre & Kids in Lansdale, for Swarthmore Players Club Theater as Seasonal Director and Stage Manager, and as Recruitment Chair for Boy Scouts of America Troop 401 in Souderton. She can be reached at 610-510-8934 or ngambale@lasp.org.

NORRISTOWN - Charles Smith joined LASP Sept. 5 as Helpline Paralegal based in Norristown. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University's School of Arts and Sciences in 2019, with a minor in Criminology. As a Legal Assistant at Portnoff Law Associates from 2019-21, he reviewed delinquent tax and municipal claim files for over 190 Pennsylvania municipalities, decided files to be merged into pleadings based on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and answered inquiries from property owners and mortgage lenders.

Charles was a Canvasser for The Fund at PennEnvironment, where he mobilized community members to clean Pennsylvania waterways and collaborated with a small team to raise over $5,000 per week. As a volunteer with WRSU Rutgers Radio's News Department in 2018-19, Smith communicated with local public figures and scheduled interviews, interviewed Rutgers affiliates and students about current events, and edited audio to be worked into aired news packages. As Legal Intake Volunteer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in July-September 2018, he analyzed and extracted important details of prospective cases, constructed summaries of cases the ACLU decided to undertake, and corresponded with local nonprofits to provide assistance. He can be reached at 610-275-5400, ext. 1011, or csmith@lasp.org.

To register for either the in-person or virtual clinic, go to www.dccc.edu/expungement-clinic. The clinic will try to accommodate walk-ins, but advance registration is preferred.

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

COATESVILLE - LASP's monthly legal clinics with the Coatesville VA will be the second Wednesday of each month in 2023. A referral by social worker, clinician or case manager is suggested but not necessary. The clinics are part of the medical center's Veterans Justice Outreach Program, which connects Veterans with VA health care services.

Questions? Contact VA staff members Diana Zinnie (Chester County) at 484-744-3442, Rhonda Sanford (Montgomery County) at 484-667-1988, or Lily Thomas (Delaware County) at 610-496-5007.

To register by phone or ask a question, contact Carol Wilbur at 215-340-1818. Details about who we can help and what to expect: lasp.org/events/bucks-custody-clinic-11-14-2023.

LASP continued to work with community partners in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. LASP also held outreaches in September for people experiencing homelessness in Pottstown, Norristown and Upper Darby, with additional efforts scheduled. In August, LASP was elected to the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness.

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