Massachusetts Community Legal Aid
The mission of Veterans Legal Services is to promote the independence, stability and financial security of homeless and low-income Veterans through free and accessible legal services. With a service area stretching from Worcester to the western border of Massachusetts, CLA serves all of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties. It has full-service offices in Worcester, Northampton, Pittsfield and Springfield, as well as offices in Fitchburg, Greenfield, Holyoke, North Adams, Southbridge and Milford. No other legal advice program in Massachusetts serves so much of the state. MLAC does not provide legal advice or representation. If you need help with a legal problem in Massachusetts, there are several ways to find it. Below you will find information on: Helping low-income families and individuals escape homelessness is just one of the ways CBA serves as a lifeline for thousands of clients each year. CLA provides legal assistance to eligible individuals in the most basic areas: homelessness prevention, employment, education, seniors` rights, immigration and family law, primarily survivors of family violence. CBA`s work is complemented by a panel of approximately 175 private lawyers who donate more than 2,700 hours of legal services to the organization each year. In addition to regional legal aid organizations, MLAC funds legal aid organizations that specialize in a particular topic or type of law, including education, immigration, prisoners` rights, disability, consumer law, etc. Jonathan Mannina, Executive Director of Community Legal Aid, said, «This grant will allow us to help formerly incarcerated residents of central and western Massachusetts lead safe, stable and productive lives. Reintegrating into society after years of absence is intimidating.
Recently released ex-offenders face a number of civil law issues, many of which are directly related to their criminal records. Our ability to effectively solve these problems goes to the heart of American faith by offering a second chance. We are thrilled to have Nina join us in doing this extremely important work. Housing and Urban Development announced last week that Community Legal Aid in Worcester will be one of five legal aides in the state to receive $2.4 million for eviction prevention services. Funding will be spread over two years starting in 2022. MLAC funds organizations that help people solve civil (not criminal) legal problems. If you need help with a criminal matter, contact the Public Legal Services Committee at 617-482-6212. CLA`s roots not only span the largest geographic area of Massachusetts` regional legal aid programs, but are also among the oldest in the state. Most civil legal aid programs date back to President Lyndon Johnson`s «war on poverty» in 1964, which led to the creation of the Office of Economic Opportunity and other poverty reduction programs. CLA was founded in 1951 as the Legal Aid Society of Worcester by a group of lawyers from the Worcester County Bar Association and predates these programs. These sites are a collaboration of the Massachusetts civil legal aid community and are funded by MLAC.
MassLegalHelp is served by lawyers at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; Mass Legal Answers Online is administered by MLRI with assistance from the Boston Bar Association`s Volunteer Lawyers Project and is part of the American Bar Association`s national Free Legal Answers project. Free legal representation for low-income people Provides free legal advice to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of imprisoned immigrants. Here is an overview of our lawyers` dedication to the Honour Roll: 242 references accepted | $490,839 in in-kind donations | 2170 hours donated On behalf of our client community, CLA thanks the following lawyers for their . While our region`s veteran population is diverse, it includes many particularly vulnerable veterans who live in the Edward P region. Boland VA Medical Centre in Leeds or who have been attracted to the area because of the deep support and benefits offered to veterans. Unfortunately, services are sometimes only «available» on paper. While VA provides compensation and financial support for service-related mental health-related injuries, it does not provide the legal support often needed to access this essential support. «MassLegalHelp`s COVID-19 section contains comprehensive information about your legal rights in areas such as housing, benefits, discrimination, healthcare, etc.