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Expungement Clinics Offer Hope and Fresh Start Disrupting The Poverty Cycle |
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ALSC Pro Bono team sets the tone for summertime by jumping headfirst into the expungement pool. We pulled together several events throughout our service area to address expungement needs, starting with small pre-registered clinics and ending with full-scale "resource fairs" partnering with Goodwill, American Job Center, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and The Coordinating and Development Corporation. "The main benefit of these events is access to legal professionals that will help walk an individual through the items needed to clean a criminal record for better opportunities," says Gregory Hopkins, Pro Bono Manager. ALSC provides legal access and education on eligibility, how to obtain an expungement, and aiding with the paperwork. At the events, resources are available for employment, educational, and housing opportunities. ALSC utilized the Justice Bus events to bring awareness to the community as a driving billboard for legal service availability. |
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Extending Appointment Hours - Poll Available Now!
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ALSC continues to seek ways improve current processes and extend access to service area. We will be expanding our appointment hours to better accommodate you. Help us find the best time serve you. |
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2024 Summer Internship Provided Access to Client Services and Networking |
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This summer, ALSC hosted four interns from Loyola University and Southern University. They were intricately involved with client services and had access to networking opportunities. During their internship, they participated in client interviews, courtroom proceedings, and local attorney networking events and gained insight into how a law office/firm operates. Each intern was assisted to 2 substantive units to gain hands-on experience in the diverse areas of law. The interns' biggest takeaway was the courtroom experience—trial preparation and the actual proceedings. They were introduced to different areas of law, which helped them narrow down potential specializations and even discover new passions. If you are interested in experiencing the practical, hands-on practice of public interest law, consider an internship with ALSC.
Image: L-R Grace Herring, Emma Chaikin, Abigail Kilgore, and Tracey Ford
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2023-2024 Louisiana Bar Foundation - Jock Scott Community Partnership Panel
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Louisiana Bar Foundation provided two grants to improve community education and knowledge of the legal access points in the rural areas. ALSC will be hosting a weeklong Civil Legal Fair in January 2025 providing legal education on various legal issues, opportunities to meet with local vendors, legal access point demonstrations and access to attorneys.
Dates and Locations:
January 27, 2024
Beauregard Parish Library
205 S. Washington St.
DeRidder, LA 70635
10AM - 2PM
January 28, 2024
East Carroll Parish Library
109 Sparrow St.
Lake Providence, LA 71254
10AM - 2PM
January 29, 2024
LaSalle Community Action Association
204 Sicily St.
Harrisonburg, LA 71340
10AM - 2PM
January 30, 2024
Concordia Parish Library
1609 Third St.
Ferriday, LA 71334
10AM - 2PM
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Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs
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Louisiana Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs and ALSC renewed the longstanding contracts to provide free civil legal services to those 60 years and over, through agreements with 21 Council on Aging or Area Agencies on Aging in our service area. |
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U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs
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The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs awarded ALSC to provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at-risk for homelessness. |
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National Health Law Program, Inc. (NHeLP)
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The National Health Law Program, Inc issued ALSC the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) project grant. With this grant, ALSC will provide legal education and services to farmers or ranchers dealing with the potential consequences to their Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, and other benefits, due to the receipt of a lump sum payment through DFAP. |
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ALSC Disaster Unit Continue to Respond.
Our Disaster Unit staff deployed the second Justice Bus to Benton, LA after Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall July 2024. ALSC continues to provide legal education on disaster legal issues and offered legal services to disaster survivors impacted by the 2020-2021 natural disasters. Often, new disasters create legal issues that are rooted in previous disasters, such as title clearing and successions needed to repair homes and unresolved contractor fraud cases. Our goal is to help clients navigate these complex issues and resolve disaster-related problems, which can last for years after a disaster event. |
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Disaster Law Collaboration Summit provided disaster community resiliency information. |
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The Louisiana State Bar Association, Acadiana Legal Service Corporation, and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services hosted the Disaster Law Collaboration Summit in Lafayette, LA June 20-21, 2024. The summit began with welcome remarks from Frank X. Neuner, Jr., with Legal Service Corporation and Alainna R. Mire, with the Louisiana State Bar Association. Louisiana's disaster response and recovery organizations shared valuable information about legal services in the event of a disaster. Several organizations highlighted the needs of rural areas affected by a disaster, technology initiatives aimed to alleviate access issues in Louisiana's legal deserts and updates on disaster-related policies from FEMA and GOHSEP. Events like this provide a space to connect with other organizations committed to supporting our communities, culture, and way of life in Louisiana. |
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ALSC Bringing Justice to You! |
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Marginalized communities are still struggling to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Ida, along with other disaster from 2020 and 2021. Legal issues can haunt disaster survivors for years. Acadiana Legal Service Corporation is committed to providing exceptional civil legal services to our low-income communities. If you're still facing legal issues related to disaster recovery, call 1-866-ASK-ALSC or apply online at www.la-law.org. |
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HIRING!
We are currently hiring within all departments of our organization. We are in need of staff attorneys, particularly within our Family, CINC, and General Law units. ALSC has amazing benefits. If you are interested in joining a team of attorneys and paralegals dedicated to bringing exceptional legal services to our underserved communities, apply today! For a full listing, please visit www.la-law.org/careers. |
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Looking to support our mission? Volunteer or Donate Today! |
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Acadiana Legal Service Corporation
www.la-law.org
All information available in this newsletter is for general information purposes only. If you need legal help, you should contact a lawyer. You may be eligible for our free legal services and can apply by calling 1-866-275-2572.
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