Cindy is our Northshore Pro Bono Project Coordinator. See our Facebook page for information about the fabulous prizes! Our North Shore Pro Bono Coordinator Cindy Bordonaro, hosting the ceremonies below, plus appearing with event participants.
Cindy Bordonaro with Cindy Petry of Covington
Right around Christmas in 2016, Michael—a 68-year-old Vietnam War veteran who suffers from PTSD—received a notice that the lease for his affordable apartment in New Orleans was being terminated. He had lived there for seven years and paid his rent on time, with the help of a housing voucher for $789 a month. Being a model tenant, he couldn’t understand why his lease wasn’t being renewed.
To rebuild communities affected by presidentially declared disasters, Congress may appropriate additional funding to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as Disaster Recovery grants. Featuring civil legal aid providers and community partners who have experience with CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grants, this panel will provide an overview of the CDBG-DR program and how legal aid providers can access and utilize this funding to address the significant disaster recovery needs of their clients.
Website Coordinator Lisa Stansky will oversee substantive work on these projects, along with the state’s first-ever Access to Justice Technology Fellowship.LOUISIANA
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation will receive $68,119 to upgrade LouisianaLawHelp.org to increase the overall usability of the site and make it mobile accessible.
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation will receive an additional $35,000 to develop automated online forms and guides for consumer debt and divorce cases.
The goal of the project grant is to increase the program’s capacity, promote better coordination of resources, ensure we provide satisfying and rewarding experiences for volunteers, facilitate greater collaboration, fill in gaps in service, and expand pro bono services for clients. We are especially excited to expand pro bono services to our rural areas and for vulnerable populations. For more information about this project please contact SLLS’ Pro Bono Unit Managing Attorney Elena Perez at eperez@slls.org.
Dorian Tuminello (pictured on the left) is a 1995 graduate of LSU Law School, who specializes in the area of employment law. She has worked in law firms and in-house. She is currently a consultant providing human resources support to small and mid-sized businesses. She stated, “I enjoy volunteering because it allows me to give back to my community.”
Sean Williams (pictured on the right) is a graduate of Loyola Law, a native of Baton Rouge who now calls the Northshore home. She loves meeting new people and hearing their stories. After working briefly as an associate in a plaintiff’s firm, she has decided to pursue her true passion for family law and start her own practice. Sean went on to say, “I am very excited to begin this journey. I truly believe being an attorney is about being an advocate for people going through challenging times in their lives.”
If you’re interested in volunteering at our Covington Self-Help Desk, please contact our Northshore Pro Bono Coordinator.
SLLS Housing Attorney Hannah Adams Honored with the 2017 Louisiana State Bar Association Excellence in Advocacy Award at the Justice Community Conference. Amanda Golob accepted the award on Hannah’s behalf.
North Shore District Attorney Warren Montgomery has announced an event to help people seal arrests or convictions on their records.
The “Fresh Start” program will reduce the cost for people who qualify under state law for expungement, a press release from Montgomery’s office said. Expungement is a legal process that “seals” an arrest or conviction, essentially removing it from public access.
The event is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at the St. Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N. Columbia St., Covington.
(Pictured From Left to Right: Shane Bryant, Amy Duncan, Gerald Issokson, Laura Tuggle, Elena Pererz, Rebecca Holmes, Deatro Carey, Doug Carey)
From LSC’s site:
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation Receives $250,515 Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant, $68,119 Technology Initiative Grant
WASHINGTON – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today that Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation will receive a $250,515 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant and a $68,119 Technology Initiative Grant.
LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund is intended to encourage and expand robust pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income clients. “We are grateful to Congress for establishing the Pro Bono Innovation Fund to increase pro bono support for civil legal aid,” said LSC President Jim Sandman. “This grant program stimulates more volunteer participation in legal aid and allows our grantees to serve more people.”
This Pro Bono grant will go towards Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation’s Pro Bono Transformation Project. This project will enhance the organization’s pro bono program by centralizing its volunteer lawyers program and undertaking an in-depth assessment of how the program engages in pro bono activities. The goal of the project is to increase the program’s infrastructure capacity, promote better coordination of resources, increase positive volunteer experiences, facilitate greater collaboration, and expand pro bono services for clients.
The grant will also allow Southeast Louisiana Legal Services to create web-based legal resources and upgrade volunteer communication strategies. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation is one of 15 recipients of grants from LSC’s $4 million Pro Bono Innovation Fund
Established in 2000, LSC’s Technology Initiative Grant program supports projects that develop and replicate technologies to improve efficiency and provide greater access to high-quality legal assistance. The program distributes up to $4 million annually to LSC-funded legal aid organizations. Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation is receiving one of 25 technology grants.
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services will use its Technology Initiative Grant to improve its website, LouisianaLawHelp.org. The project will progress in three stages: a website evaluation phase, a site overhaul and redevelopment phase, and a site outreach and marketing phase. It will incorporate many of the recommendations from LSC’s recent statewide website evaluation project with the goal of optimizing the website for use on mobile devices and increasing overall usability.
SHREVEPORT, La., Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — On Sept. 23, 2017, the Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport(HACS) and community partners will host the first event in a series designed to assist youth with their criminal records. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions and start the process of expunging records of arrest or conviction. The goal of the series is to remove barriers that young people may face in accessing housing and employment due to a criminal record.