North Penn Legal Services and The Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association will conduct a Continuing Legal Education Provider “Disability Advocacy, Consumer Law and Health Law Issues Advocates Training” on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at Split Rock Lodge, Lake Harmony, PA. 2.5 and 3 hours substantive CLE Credits are available.
*Please click on the link below to download the agenda, program description and registration form.
North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) will be taking applications for seniors in need of Simple Wills, Living Wills, and Powers of Attorney at the Pittston Senior Center on September 20, 2010 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This is a FREE service and is open to the public. You must be at least 60 years of age to be eligible. Interested parties must call ahead by September 22, 2010 to 570-655-5561.
NPLS Paralegal, Bill McLaughlin was recently able to help a Pike County client and her minor child (who both receive TANF cash assistance and medical assistance) increase their monthly food stamp benefits as a result of their entitlement to an excess medical expense deduction that was not being allowed by the Pike County Assistance Office.
Individuals who receive disability related medical assistance are entitled to claim an excess medical expense deduction from their monthly income for any amount of expenses over $35.00/month. By allowing such a deduction, the household’s food stamp benefits would increase by almost $200.00/month since the client and child make frequent out of town trips for medical treatment in Philadelphia.
Although the County Assistance Officer (CAO) agreed the client and child met the disability standard, they refused to authorize the medical expense deductions since the client and child were receiving TANF related medical assistance which is not considered disability related medical assistance.
Mr. McLaughlin filed an appeal for the client and child and also contact DPW’s Bureau of Policy. After reviewing the case, DPW Bureau of Policy agreed that the Pike CAO was erroneously denying the excess medical expense deduction and directed the CAO to allow for an excess medical expense deduction as long as disability related requirements are met.
The Bureau of Policy also agreed to correct their Food Stamp Handbook Policy (SNAP) to reflect that even though an individual or family may not be receiving disability related medical assistance such as TANF benefits, as long as there is sufficient medical evidence to determine disability and the individual pursues entitlement to disability benefits, then the individual would be entitled to claim an excess medical expense deduction.
By clarifying their policy, this will allow individuals and families statewide to potentially increase their monthly food stamp allotment.
The attorneys at North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) provide help to many low-income families residing in Pennsylvania, but this is only possible due to the funding that the offices receive. Court awards are a potential source of funding that can be both easy to attain and very lucrative.
There are four categories that court awards to legal aid programs fit:
Cy Pres Awards: These arise from class action lawsuits where all of the plaintiffs cannot be found and the court must decide how to disperse the residual funds. Increasingly the courts are identifying legal aid as an appropriate recipient of these funds.
Court Approved Settlements: More commonly now we are seeing awards coming as a result of settlement discussions between the parties, where there is an agreement between them that a charitable donation to legal aid is in order. Such contributions are often being offered by defense counsel.
Sanction Awards: We also have cases where the courts have sanctioned attorneys in a case and have forwarded the funds to legal aid.
Criminal Restitution: There are a couple examples of this on the second page of the attached list. These awards are usual thought of as “fines” and sometimes effectively reduce the effective incarceration time of a defendant.
For more information, visit the Newsroom page at www.northpennlegal.org or call NPLS Director of Development & Communications at 610-317-5314.
NPLS received funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop and print outreach materials which will help clients and social services organizations with their housing, consumer, and employment issues. All materials are available in English and Spanish. The publications include: Creditor Lawsuits Handbook, Employment Handbook and Landlord Tenant Handbook. If you are on staff at a social services organization and would like to receive hard copies of any printed materials, please contact NPLS’ Director of Development & Communications at 610-317-5314 or anorton@northpennlegal.org. Links to the handbooks are included below.
To download the English version of the Creditor Lawsuits Handbook click here English Creditor Lawsuits Handbook. For the Spanish version click here Spanish Creditor Lawsuits Handbook.
To download the English version of the Employment Handbook click here English Employment Handbook. To access the Spanish version click here Spanish Employment Handbook.
To download the English version of the Landlord Tenant Handbook click here English Landlord Tenant Handbook. For the Spanish version click here Spanish Landlord Tenant Handbook.
Luzerne County commissioners on June 16 approved a one-year contract of up to $185,000 with North Penn Legal Services. Luzerne County is implementing changes on how to pay guardians ad litem appointed to represent children in dependency cases involving abuse or neglect. The changes stem from an audit conducted last year by the state Department of Public Welfare, which wanted the county to increase the number of available guardians ad litem from one to three. Beginning Thursday, two attorneys from North Penn Legal Services can serve as guardians ad litem.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today announced a new student loan forgiveness program for attorneys employed by agencies that help people who cannot afford legal representation.
Beginning Sept. 1, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program — or LRAP — will receive applications for reimbursements for student loans to attorneys working for at least one year with a qualified agency that provides legal assistance in civil matters to indigent Pennsylvanians.
No taxpayer funding will be used to finance LRAP, which will use proceeds from the fees out-of-state lawyers must pay to practice in Pennsylvania courts. The so-called pro hac vice fees will fund a three-year grant to administer the program by the Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Account board with the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, a charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
“Expanding the pool of bright and talented people to assist Pennsylvanians in all corners of the Commonwealth in relatively low-paying but critical public service jobs is a goal of this new initiative,” Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille said. “Having incurred reasonable college and law school debt should not overwhelm one’s decision-making process as to whether to pursue a public service mission.”
A recently graduated attorney, who is employed by a legal aid organization funded by IOLTA, is eligible to have $2,000 in student loan debt forgiven. An attorney can apply for up to 10, one-year forgivable loans over the tenure of qualified employment provided the eligibility requirements are met, including a law license and income and loan criteria. Each loan carries a one-year employment requirement for the loan.
In addition to easing education debt, the program will help address critical shortages facing many organizations in finding qualified legal assistance across the Commonwealth.
“The members of the IOLTA board are deeply grateful to our Supreme Court for their continuing efforts to ensure that low income Pennsylvanians have access to justice,” said William P. Carlucci, IOLTA board chair. “Our court has recognized that crushing levels of student debt have long been a significant deterrent to lawyers who aspire to public service. This is an important first step in our efforts to attract bright young lawyers to serve the most vulnerable of our citizens.”
(For more LRAP information, visit: www.paiolta.org)
Beginning July 1, people born in Puerto Rico will have to obtain a new certified copy of their birth certificate under a new law passed by the government of Puerto Rico. The new law was based on collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services. more »
The PLAN (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network) Excellence Awards were held on March 23rd at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel. Two NPLS supporters received awards during the night’s festivities. more »
If you are a person with a disability and live in the Lehigh Valley who is…
Click here to find out if you may be qualified for financial assistance (Spanish Version).
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