Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association Inc.

Transcription

1 Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association Inc. General Information 7 Winthrop Square Second Floor Boston, MA (617) Website Organization Contact Joanna Allison jallison@vlpnet.org Year of Incorporation

2 Statements & Search Criteria Mission Statement The mission of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association is to increase access to justice by delivering high quality pro bono civil legal services to eligible clients in the Greater Boston area. Background Statement Established as a pilot project of the Boston Bar Association in 1977, VLP s mission is to increase access to justice by delivering high quality pro bono civil legal services to eligible low-income clients in the Greater Boston area. To effectively serve as many clients as possible, VLP uses a variety of strategies including court-based clinics that provide legal information and advice, assistance with forms, and limited assistance representation (LAR) court appearances; full representation in court and administrative proceedings; and community based clinics and legal education. Through a Memorandum of Understanding, VLP coordinates with its regional partners Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSCC) and MetroWest Legal Services (MWLS) with respect to funding and service delivery. VLP subcontracts with MWLS for pro bono services in the western part of its service area. VLP provides low-income residents of Greater Boston with civil legal services that have a profound effect on their economic stability and basic quality of life. VLP can serve clients with household incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are in the United States legally (with some exceptions for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking). VLP serves clients with legal problems including consumer issues and debt relief, housing eviction and foreclosures, child support, guardianship protection for children and disabled adults, and unemployment benefit appeals. In 2015, VLP provided legal assistance to over 6500 clients and provided information, education, and self-help materials to approximately 6000 additional members of the community. Impact Statement In the past year, VLP has; 1) set up the Eastern Region Legal Intake (ERLI), intake, advice and referral line which has lowered wait times for callers seeking legal advice and referral for a legal aid attorney; 2) established clinics in small claims courts for debt collection pro se defendants; 3) naming an Executive Director with 25 years of experience in the field of Legal Aid; 4) established a clinic in partnership with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office to provide advice and legal representation for Massachusetts workers who have not been paid wages.goals for the current year include; 1) moving to a new case management system with appropriate technical support; 2) creating online intake to decrease wait times for legal intake, advice and referral; 3) looking for affordable office space that is also accessible to our clients. Needs Statement 1. Financial need. As federal funding is expected to decrease by up to 10% VLP's greatest need is to diversify funding resources to be able to maintain its high level of effectiveness.2. Increasing volunteers in the areas where the courts are stretched from too many pro se clients.3. Updating to a new case management system that has technical support. CEO/Executive Director Statement The Volunteer Lawyers Project is a unique legal aid organization. VLP's model provides access to justice through pro bono services of private attorneys. VLP's pro bono-centered service delivery model is a force multiplier: VLP's staff of 22 leverages a panel of more than 1000 volunteer attorneys and law students to provide legal assistance to several thousand low-income clients in essential legal matters. 2

3 Service Categories Legal Services Geographic Areas Served Acton, Arlington, Ashland, Bedford, Bellingham, Belmont, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Carlisle, Chelsea, Cohasset, Conconrd, Dedham, Dover, Everett, Foxborough, Framingham, Franklin, Hingham, Holbrook, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Hull, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Millis, Milton, Natick, Needham, Newton, rfolk, rthborough, rwell, rwood, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Scituate, Sharon, Sherborn, Somerville, Southborough, Stoneham, Stow, Sudbury, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellsley, Westborough, Weston, Westwood, Weymouth, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, Wollaston, Wrentham. Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served. 3

4 Programs Guardianship Clinics Description Senior Partners for Justice and VLP offer two important types of guardianship assistance in court-based clinics. Our volunteer attorneys and law students help low-income petitioners for guardianship complete and file the guardianship petitions, and help low-income guardians complete their care plans and annual reports. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Crime & Legal, General/Other Legal Services Children and Youth (0-19 years), Elderly and/or Disabled, Serving unrepresented guardians using pro bono attorneys. Using pro bono attorneys to assist unrepresented litigants in the probate and family court. Client and attorney surveys at the end of a case give VLP feedback on whether the help was effective. A mother was given guardianship of her daughter who was disabled and had turned 18 so was no longer a child. 4

5 Boston Housing Court Lawyer for the Day Clinics Description VLP uses volunteer attorneys to advise and represent low-income tenants and landlords at the Boston Housing Court two days a week. This project is a joint effort of VLP and the Real Estate Section of the Boston Bar Association. The volunteers assist pro se landlords and tenants at Boston Housing Court, primarily in matters involving eviction. The volunteers:- provide brief adviceassist in preparing pleadings or motions- represent clients in medication or negotiation- represent clients on a Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) basis in court hearings. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Crime & Legal, General/Other Legal Services Elderly and/or Disabled, Families, Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent Providing representation or advice to pro se tenants and landlords at the Boston Housing Court that allows them to stay in their homes or find appropriate housing through pro bono volunteers. Providing representation or advice to pro se tenants and landlords at the Boston Housing Court that allows them to stay in their homes or find appropriate housing through pro bono volunteers. Clients and attorneys are sent surveys at the conclusion of the case to evaluate the effectiveness of the representation. Case statistics and outcomes are kept with VLP's case management system. A limited English speaking client was not given an appropriate interpreter at a hearing at the housing court and was not represented by a lawyer. As a result, the tenant and his family were evicted even though the apartment they were living was in bad condition and the landlord had refused to fix it. When a VLP lawyer became involved, the tenant was able to stay in the home and have the bad conditions fixed. 5

6 Eastern Region Legal Intake Description Eastern Region Legal Intake (ERLI) is a new project by the Volunteer Lawyers Project that began in October ERLI provides intake, advice and referral services to low-income callers in the eastern region of Massachusetts. To maximize efficiency, clients are screened in a two tier system to ensure that eligible callers speak with an advocate as soon as possible. Clients in need of legal advice are scheduled for telephone advice sessions with pro bono attorneys. Budget Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Crime & Legal, General/Other Legal Services Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent, People/Families with of People with Disabilities, Elderly and/or Disabled ERLI aims to provide high quality legal advice and referral to lowincome callers and is specifically focused on keeping wait times down for callers so that ultimately more callers can speak to advocates. ERLI would like to provide high quality advice and referral to all callers and will eventually expand to include online intake so that callers do not need to be on hold. The caller will then be called back by an appropriate advocate. ERLI conducts client surveys after the advice or referral to determine whether the advice was helpful for the legal issue. ERLI has begun using advice panels in housing, family law, employment and probate. Callers can be scheduled for a 30 minute telephone legal advice session with experienced pro bono attorneys. While these sessions are meant to be limited, many attorneys have been moved by the conversation with the client and have decided to take on the case for full representation. 6

7 Management CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Term Start Aug Ms. Joanna Allison Esq. Experience Joanna Allison has been a staff attorney at the Volunteer Lawyers Project since 1993 practicing in housing, consumer and bankruptcy law. Attorney Allison was the interim Executive Director for 11 months before becoming the Executive Director in August Previously, she was a fellow at the National Consumer Law Center in Boston and served as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of rthwest rth Carolina in Winston-Salem. She earned a J.D. from the University of rth Carolina. Former CEOs Name Term Ms. Mary M. Connolly Esq. 0 - Jan 0 Sheila Hubbard Feb Sept 2015 Staff Information Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Volunteers Contractors Retention Rate % Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 3 Asian American/Pacific Islander 2 Caucasian 12 Hispanic/Latino 5 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified

8 Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency nmanagement Formal Evaluation n Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually Annually Annually Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers Date Strategic Plan Adopted Mar 2014 Does your organization have a Business Continuity of Operations Plan? Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures ndiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Document Destruction Policy Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Is your organization licensed by the Government? 3 Risk Management Provisions Commercial General Liability Crime Coverage Directors and Officers Policy Disability Insurance Employee Dishonesty Employment Practices Liability General Property Coverage Professional Liability Umbrella or Excess Insurance Workers Compensation and Employers' Liability Affiliations Affiliation Year 8

9 American Bar Association 0 9

10 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. Raymond Kwasnick Company Affiliation Goulston & Storrs Term Oct 2016 to Oct Board CoChair Board CoChair Company Affiliation Ms. Josephine McNeil CAN-DO Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Board Members Name Affiliation Status Sarah Beigbeder Petty Deborah Hill Bornheimer WilmerHale Retired Andrew H. Cohn Esq. WilmerHale Voting Lee Duncan VA Boston Healthcare System Voting Brian Dunphy Mintz Levin Fanny Johnson Community Volunteer Voting Joseph M Kaigler Sr., Esq. Massachusetts Port Authority Voting Sarah Kelly Nutter McClenned & Fish LLP Raymond M. Kwasnick Esq. Goulston & Storrs Voting Timothy Lee Advocates, Incorporated Voting Daphne Lopes Community Richard McCarthy Esq. Locke Lord LLP Voting Josephine McNeil Esq. CAN-DO Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Voting Mary Moore Survivors, Incorporated Voting Michael J Pappone Esq. Goodwin Procter LLP Voting David Pearson Shawmut Education Voting Carla Reeves William Roberts Goulston & Storrs PC Ropes & Gray LLP Stuart Rossman Esq. National Consumer Law Center Voting Jose Sierra Holland & Knight LLP Albert Wallis Esq. Brown Rudnick Voting Cameron Wilder VinFen Board Demographics - Ethnicity 10

11 African American/Black 10 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 10 Hispanic/Latino 1 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified Board Information Board Term Lengths Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions Constituency Includes Client Representation 2 100% Standing Committees Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Executive Finance minating Personnel 11

12 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start Jan 01, 2018 Fiscal Year End Dec 31, 2018 Projected Revenue $2,625, Projected Expenses $2,625, Endowment? Spending Policy Income Only Credit Line? Reserve Fund? Months Reserve Fund Covers 2 Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Total Revenue $2,390,343 $2,311,174 $2,201,143 Total Expenses $2,170,692 $2,278,593 $2,324,705 Revenue Sources Foundation and Corporation Contributions Government Contributions $2,020,912 $1,904,711 $1,918,325 Federal State Local Unspecified $2,020,912 $1,904,711 $1,918,325 Individual Contributions $369,026 $406,146 $282,103 Indirect Public Support -- $0 $0 Earned Revenue -- $0 $0 Investment Income, Net of Losses $405 $317 $715 Membership Dues -- $0 $0 Special Events -- $0 $0 Revenue In-Kind Other -- $0 $0 12

13 Expense Allocation Program Expense $1,736,748 $1,964,179 $1,992,423 Administration Expense $349,149 $172,756 $233,042 Fundraising Expense $84,795 $141,658 $99,240 Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 80% 86% 86% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 4% 6% 5% Assets and Liabilities Total Assets $788,596 $536,242 $515,782 Current Assets $741,242 $525,608 $512,239 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Current Liabilities $185,833 $153,130 $165,251 Total Net Assets $602,763 $383,112 $350,531 Short Term Solvency Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 0% Top Funding Sources Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? Comments Foundation Staff Comments Financial summary data in charts and graphs are per the organization's IRS Form 990s. Contributions from foundations and corporations are listed under individuals when the breakout was not available. Created Copyright 2019 The Boston Foundation 13