Community Legal Aid

CLA Veterans Attorney spreads the word about pardons for LGBTQ+ former service members In June, the Biden administration announced that the President was using his powers of clemency to pardon former U.S. service members who were convicted of a crime under military law based on their sexual orientation. Such convictions not only criminalized a service member's identity, they could also cause lasting damage to a Veteran's reputation and ability to access benefits. Noah Meister, a Staff Attorney in CLA's Worcester Veterans Unit explained the significance of this new decision: "This action creates a path for LGBTQ+ service members who were dishonorably discharged based on such convictions to obtain discharge status upgrades. A service member's discharge status impacts not just their reputation, but the types of Veterans benefits that they can access." In order to receive a pardon under this initiative, former service members must submit an application to the military department that conducted the court-martial. Once a certificate of pardon is issued, Veterans may then apply for a military discharge status upgrade. Read more: https://bit.ly/4eJwGYj

Community Legal Aid offices will be closed, Monday, October 14, 2024 in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Your race shouldn’t determine the value of your home. For most people, their home is their most valuable financial asset. But a recent study found that Black and Latino homeowners are about twice as likely as white homeowners to get low appraisals. For example, one Black homeowner received an appraisal more than double the original, after removing family photos, Black art, and books from her home. If you believe your home has been unfairly appraised because of race or national origin, that could violate the Fair Housing Act. Contact U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or your local fair housing center. To file a complaint visit hud.gov/fairhousing or call 1-800-669-9777 Federal Relay Service 1-800-877-8339 Or contact Community Legal Aid, your local legal services organization: Online at https://lnkd.in/gxZ-fRQ or by phone at (855) 252-5342

CLA Senior Supervising Attorney to be honored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly announced last month that CLA Senior Supervising Attorney Christina Paradiso would be a Circle of Excellence Honoree at the 2024 Top Women of Law event to be held in November 2024. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Explains: Our Circle of Excellence recognizes women attorneys who have been previously honored as Top Women, but whose continuing achievements merit additional recognition. Attorney Paradiso was honored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of their Top Women of Law in 2009. More recently, the Massachusetts Bar Association presented Paradiso with the 2024 Legal Services Award for her more than 25 years working in public interest law. Attorney Paradiso is the Senior Supervising Attorney for CLA's Family Law Unit, where she handles complex divorce, custody, support, visitation, and abuse prevention matters, and supervises all family law work at CLA. Under her leadership, CLA’s Family Law Unit has successfully obtained many significant systemic improvements for low-income litigants, including two recent appellate victories for survivors of domestic violence. Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZRMYtQ

More than half of Americans mistakenly believe they are entitled to free legal representation if they cannot afford a lawyer for civil matters, a new The Harris Poll survey shows. See below for % of Americans who do not know where to find legal representation by age category: Ages 18 to 34: 38% Ages 35 to 44: 27% Ages 45 to 54: 29% Ages 55 to 64: 28% Ages 65+: 19% To learn more go to the Legal Services Corporation website: https://lnkd.in/ehUA-jiM

Congratulations to Community Legal Aid Board Member, Attorney Timothy F. Murphy of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. for being named 2025 Lawyer of the Year in Springfield for his work in Litigation – Labor and Employment in the Best Lawyers in America. Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is honored with this award. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eiaruN9T

Need help? Apply for free civil legal help from Community Legal Aid Contáctenos G?i cho chúng t?i ???? ??? (855) 252-5342 / https://lnkd.in/gGuPQpN National Sexual assault Hotline Línea directa nacional para casos de abuso sexual ???ng day nóng Toàn qu?c v? T?n c?ng Tình d?c ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ???????? ?????? 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline Línea directa nacional para casos de violencia doméstica ???ng day nóng Toàn qu?c v? B?o l?c Gia ?ình ???? ?????? ????? ?????? 1-800-799-7233 #DVAwareness #DV #DomesticViolence #SAAwareness #DomesticViolence #DomesticViolenceAwareness #SexualViolenceAwareness #DVAwarenessMonth #DomesticViolenceResources #DVHotline #SAHotline #DomesticviolenceHotline #CivilLegalAidForVictimsofCrime #victimresources #survivorresources #legalhelp #freelegalhelp #legalaid

Do you have lived experience with the MA educational system?! Share your story! Community Legal Aid and our partners at Pa'lante Transformative Justice and Brown's Promise are hosting a listening session ?? and want to hear YOUR perspective on the #publiceducation system! When: Wednesday, October 16, 2024. 5:00 - 7:30 PM Where: Pa'lante Transformative Justice, 220 Linden Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 Dinner and childcare provided!

Community Legal Aid's Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime Unit provided “Sammy,” an individual with mental and physical disabilities, with holistic legal services spanning both housing and family law. Sammy was being exploited and manipulated by a younger woman, “B.B.” who had persuaded Sammy to let her manage his financial affairs. B.B. was also living with Sammy, in violation of Sammy’s lease. When Sammy’s landlord brought legal action to remove her from Sammy’s apartment, Sammy was referred to CLA. However, B.B. intervened and prevented Sammy from privately meeting with CLA’s staff. Sammy did not pursue his request for CLA’s services. Several months later, Sammy called CLA, saying, “You told me if I changed my mind, you would help me. I need help now.” Sammy’s abuser controlled his finances and was not paying rent and other bills. He was facing eviction, and had defaulted on his trial date. He also wanted to get a restraining order against B.B. CLA’s attorneys first helped Sammy obtain the restraining order, then turned to stabilizing his housing. Sammy’s CLA attorney successfully argued a motion to remove the default in his housing case, invoking federal law that protects victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence from being evicted due to the actions of their abusers. CLA then helped Sammy apply for short-term financial assistance, which helped him get caught up on his overdue rent. Finally, after a series of negotiations, the landlord dismissed the eviction case. Not only did CLA counsel Sammy regarding his legal options, Sammy's attorney referred him to domestic violence agencies for assistance, both therapeutic and financial. When you make a gift to Community Legal Aid, you ensure that victims and survivors of abuse, like Sammy, have access to thorough and complete advocacy. Make your gift online today: https://lnkd.in/eUKgerm #dvawareness #domesticviolenceawareness #dvawarenessmonth #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth #supportingvictims #supportingsurvivors #survivorstory #DVlegalaid #abuseprevention

Staff from Community Legal Aid's Family Preservation Project represented the organization at University of Massachusetts Amherst Health Equity Advocacy and Policy Showcase last week! Pictured L-R: CLA Legal Advocate Eliana (Ellie) Matos, and CLA Senior Supervising Attorney Madeline Weaver-Blanchette About CLA's Family Preservation Project: Too often, children are placed in foster care because their parents lack access to safe housing, quality health and mental health care, food, and appropriate educational services. Other families lack the money to hire a lawyer to protect themselves against domestic violence. These poverty-induced problems are not the equivalent of parental neglect or abuse and should not mean children are separated from their families. The first of its kind in Massachusetts and one of only a handful of similar programs across the country, Community Legal Aid’s Family Preservation Project provides legal support to families who are involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The goal is to prevent a child’s unnecessary removal from their home and the accompanying trauma that can result. Beginning when CLA receives a referral of a DCF-involved family, Project staff conduct a thorough needs assessment in order to identify how legal interventions and related services can stabilize the family and address the reasons that DCF is involved. Project staff will then take appropriate next steps, including referring the family to the relevant advocacy practice area within CLA and connecting the family to community service providers when needed.