http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/28/america-risks-losing-its-immigration-advantage/
Thought this was an interesting article on immigration and its benefits. I also read an article on how Americans are so lacking in Math, Science, and Engineering training that thousands of engineering jobs here in America during the height of the Recession went unfilled. Many fear these employers will eventually go elsewhere to look for workers to fit there needs. One possible solution is to allow these workers to come to America and fill these jobs. Perhaps the answer is better immigration laws as opposed to anti-immigration laws?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Hot Coffee Follow-up
Early on in this blog's life, Kevin posted a link about a documentary addressing tort reform in the US. Here is a follow up article, examining the movie's success at the Sundance Film Festival, and the director behind it:
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Haiku: Court Attire
business suit, game-face,
legal pad. Yet still I feel
like an impostor.
It seems apparent
who's a client. You don't see
attorneys in jeans.
And the bane of my visits to court:
Metal Detector
*beep!* Betraying the metal
in my under-wire.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Haikus: strange days
Willy comes and goes.
A serious character,
buys weed-eating goats.
Front room, five children
candy, blocks, bathroom, water:
Legal Aid Childcare.
Again i hear chimes
leave my lunch, approach the door
that darn clock again!
VA Beach Adventure: "Stay Fearless"
The Richmond and Petersburg interns (minus Catherine) at the Virginia State Bar Legal Aid Award Luncheon:
(* picture stolen off the loft)
On Friday the interns had an epic adventure, driving to the Annual Virginia State Bar Meeting in VA Beach to attend the Legal Aid Award Luncheon. Larry T. Harley, the Executive Director of Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, received the honor of being named the 2011 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year! Steve, our fearless leader (slash Executive Director, but fearless leader just sounds so impressive) invited the interns to attend this event.
The attorneys and interns from the Charlottesville office attended as well. We were able not only to hear a wonderfully inspiring speech from Larry Harley and eat delicious food, but we also had the opportunity to meet honorable judges. Some of the interns even stood behind Viriginia Supreme Court Justices while waiting in line a the buffet.
Larry's speech included some great moments, including his earnestly expressed desire to change the world one small case and circumstance at a time. He also had a poignant comment about how all attorneys go to law school and not "justice school" and how we all must make a conscious choice to do justice instead of merely practicing law.
After the speech, Larry offered the interns some personal advice to "Stay Fearless", to which we all silently encouraged ourselves to become the fearless young attorneys he thinks we can be. The interns all headed to the EXPO to collect free pens and sunglasses where who should we run into but Professor Bryson! It seems anywhere there is free food and UR Law students, Professor Bryson is sure to be.
Since we were at the beach, we couldn't leave without touching the Atlantic. We all removed our shoes, rolled up our pants (those of us not in skirts or dresses), pulled our new free EXPO-acquired plastic neon green sunglasses down over our eyes, and strutted towards the shore... trying to ignore the fact we were all in suits and business attire.
The trip definitely provided some encouragement for all of us as we steeled our gaze, facing the western horizon on the (Beach-traffic plagued) drive back, determined to return again one day with that J.D. and that fearless desire to do justice.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
VEC Appeal
Today I had the pleasure of representing a client of ours in a VEC Unemployment Compensation appeal. It was pretty awesome, I almost felt like a real lawyer. The Appeals Examiner even referred to me as the claimant's lawyer, but Jessica was quick to point out I was not, in fact, a lawyer. Either way it was an exciting morning and it felt good. Even though it will be a few days before we get the results, the claimant seemed pleased with me and that felt good.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Flag Day Special
In honor of Flag Day, today's post is dedicated to Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the US Code, which, as you may have guessed, is dedicated to the US National Flag.
Not only does it lay out the proper heights at which a flag should be raised off the ground based on its dimensions for executive agencies, but it also addresses when a star shall be added to the union of the flag after the admission of a new state into the union (the following fourth of July).
For more information, visit http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode04/usc_sup_01_4_10_1.html for full text of the Chapter.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Haikus: Recent Developments in Poverty Law
Maximum Total
Fed U.I. Benefits now?
Seventy Three WeeksInterim Reports,
DSS sends notice if
no reply, oh SNAP!
TANF match payments change
something with child support. I
didn't understand
Landlord Tenant Act
Update: Tenants Assertion,
Rent Escrow. Big News!
The Legal Aid Intern Blog-o-sphere
Check out the other Virginia legal aid intern blogs:
- Of course, there's the infamous Loft
- But out in Charlottesville there's also a Bunker and Boiler Room
Go see what the other cities in Central VA have going on!
Also, they're ahead of the game with Twitter accounts:
We may have to get one soon so we don't get left behind!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
What CVLAS Does: Protective Orders
Kevin and I accompanied Sara to Juvenile and Domestic Relations court to try a petition for a permanent protective order. I had been before with Jessica, the other attorney in the Petersburg Office, so I kind of knew what to expect procedure-wise. We had a strong case with physical evidence to support the petition. For anyone who doesn't know, a protective order can be issued for family abuse, defined as: any act or threat resulting in injury or reasonable fear of injury done by a family or household member.
Sara represented the petitioner, a young wife who had been subjected to years of domestic violence through her husband taking and breaking her cell phones and keys, locking her in and out of the house, threatening and physically abusing her. After hitting her so hard he broke a bone and throwing a chair that almost hit their daughter, she finally decided to seek a protective order. With her family’s support she sought to protect herself from him. Even though the opposing counsel was quite antagonistic throughout the procedure, brusquely brushing off all offers of negotiation by Sara and trying to insinuate that our client was fabricating stories as a side effect of medications, our client kept her cool and credibility by calmly explaining she took such pain medications because of the physical abuse she suffered.
The judge granted our client a 2-year permanent protective order, but what was so hard for her was that she still loved this man who wreaked so much damage on her life. Because of such strong ties to the person who commits the abuse, family protective order cases can be some of the most emotional cases and the young woman, although relieved for her own safety was extremely apprehensive, sad, and unsure about her future. With help from CVLAS, she will be safe to raise and protect her daughter and her daughter’s future.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Haiku: Need More Power
"Shifting to third gear
3 p.m.; Power Hour
Ahhrg! Power Outage!"
I wrote this haiku yesterday afternoon after, you guessed it, a power outage. Unfortunately we lost power around 3:20 yesterday afternoon. We were able to work a small while longer and then the office got too hot without A/C.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sweet Victory!!
Today Sara (one of our Staff Attorneys) received a letter from the VEC letting us know her appeal for unemployment benefits was successful. Sara went for the jugular, discrediting the employer's representative and pointing out the shoddy and inconsistent records taken by the employer. Although I played a small role in the victory, providing the research on what the VEC consider's misconduct, it feels good knowing I helped someone get unemployment benefits.
Homeowner Forecloses on a Bank (not kidding)
This is awesome...just another reason why I never will bank with B of A...
http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article/178031/176/Florida-Hom
http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article/178031/176/Florida-Hom
Monday, June 6, 2011
Illegal Internet Payday Loans & Car Title Loans
Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending
All Internet payday lenders and some car title lenders have made illegal
loans to Virginians. Consumers are encouraged to call the payday loan
hotline, 866-830-4501, if they feel that their Internet payday or car
title loan was illegal.
RICHMOND-Consumers who either have an Internet payday loan or who took
out a car title loan in Virginia in late 2010 or early 2011 may have
been the victims of predatory lenders who were making these loans
illegally in the commonwealth. The Virginia Partnership to Encourage
Responsible Lending, a consumer advocacy coalition, is urging those who
may have taken out one of these loans to call its payday loan hotline:
866-830-4501.
Internet payday loans are illegal in Virginia. It is a felony for an
Internet payday lender to make payday loans in Virginia. Consumers
cannot be forced to pay back an illegal loan and should continue to
monitor their credit as most internet lenders sell their personal
information opening them up to identity theft and false debt buyer
claims.
Some car title loans that were made in Virginia in late 2010 and early
2011 by Virginia lenders who were not yet licensed may have also been
illegal. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor to make car title loans without a
license.
If consumers got a car title loan from one of the following lenders
between October 1, 2010 and the date the lender was licensed, it may be
illegal:
Allied Title Lending-- Licensed February 17, 2011
Beach Title Loans-Licensed January 27, 2011
Buckeye Title Loans-Licensed December 15, 2010
Cash 2-U Title Loans-Licensed November 16, 2010
Cashpoint-Licensed December 02, 2010
Express Check Advance-Licensed December 22, 2010
TitleMax-Licensed December 27, 2010
Thousands of Virginians are stuck in predatory payday and car title
loans they can never hope to repay. Many consumers do not know many of
these loans are illegal. Consumers are encouraged to call the Virginia
Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending hotline at 866-830-4501 for
free advice if they think you got an illegal Internet payday loan or car
title loan in late 2010 or early 2011.
All Internet payday lenders and some car title lenders have made illegal
loans to Virginians. Consumers are encouraged to call the payday loan
hotline, 866-830-4501, if they feel that their Internet payday or car
title loan was illegal.
RICHMOND-Consumers who either have an Internet payday loan or who took
out a car title loan in Virginia in late 2010 or early 2011 may have
been the victims of predatory lenders who were making these loans
illegally in the commonwealth. The Virginia Partnership to Encourage
Responsible Lending, a consumer advocacy coalition, is urging those who
may have taken out one of these loans to call its payday loan hotline:
866-830-4501.
Internet payday loans are illegal in Virginia. It is a felony for an
Internet payday lender to make payday loans in Virginia. Consumers
cannot be forced to pay back an illegal loan and should continue to
monitor their credit as most internet lenders sell their personal
information opening them up to identity theft and false debt buyer
claims.
Some car title loans that were made in Virginia in late 2010 and early
2011 by Virginia lenders who were not yet licensed may have also been
illegal. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor to make car title loans without a
license.
If consumers got a car title loan from one of the following lenders
between October 1, 2010 and the date the lender was licensed, it may be
illegal:
Allied Title Lending-- Licensed February 17, 2011
Beach Title Loans-Licensed January 27, 2011
Buckeye Title Loans-Licensed December 15, 2010
Cash 2-U Title Loans-Licensed November 16, 2010
Cashpoint-Licensed December 02, 2010
Express Check Advance-Licensed December 22, 2010
TitleMax-Licensed December 27, 2010
Thousands of Virginians are stuck in predatory payday and car title
loans they can never hope to repay. Many consumers do not know many of
these loans are illegal. Consumers are encouraged to call the Virginia
Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending hotline at 866-830-4501 for
free advice if they think you got an illegal Internet payday loan or car
title loan in late 2010 or early 2011.
Haikus: documents
Open the folder,
try to contain a person
within manila.
I fax the letter,
Satisfied. My smug look fades
wheres the cover sheet?!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Haiku: doorbell at lunch?
Chimes ring through the air
I spring towards the door mid-bite!
It's just Kathy's clock
It's a Legal Aid Intern Blog-O-Sphere SHOWDOWN!!
Who would have thought our modest blog would cause such a stir in less than half-a-day after the first post. Not only has it inspired a similar blog by the interns at CVLAS Richmond (who have a great blog, check out the link to it on the right side of this page), but also started a throwdown between various Richmond legal aid organizations over whose interns are better.
The soap opera progressed through listserv e-mails with accidental reply-alls, boasting and posturing between attorneys, and debates about office theme-songs. But best of all, it got people talking about CVLAS. Sure, it was within the same legal community that already knows what CVLAS is and does, but seeing the unexpected and widespread reaction from this blog happen so rapidly, it makes me hope that soon we'll have plenty more people interested in CVLAS and once they realize what we do, get involved.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Hot Coffee
Check out this movie coming out in about the legal system... For those who think that personal injury lawyers are simply "ambulance chasers" this may make you think twice. Just as with most things there are often lawyers who take advantage of the system but it is not nearly as bad as some would have you believe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBKRjxeQnT4&feature=youtu.be
Haikus Re: Working in the Reception Area
A shadow comes, leaves.
Too late I look up to ask.
Oops the door is locked!
"I'm sorry Mister ___
telephone intakes only"
I repeat thrice more.
Schoolchildren yearn with
faces pressed against the glass
for my desk's sweets jar
MORE TO COME SOON!
Inauguration Blog
Welcome to the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society's blog for the office of Petersburg. Not only is this CVLAS Petersburg's first blog, this is also my first blog. The easy decision was deciding to create a blog. The harder decision is what to write in the blog. What do people talk about in these things?
I guess I'll start with a brief description of what CLVAS does. CVLAS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing civil (as opposed to criminal) legal services to low income individuals. There are 3 offices: Petersburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville. CVLAS provides a wide range of services including consumer law, bankruptcy, family law, and landlord tenant law. For more information please visit our website at http://www.cvlas.org/.
CVLAS relies heavily on federal grants to survive. But like most federally funded projects, CVLAS has been facing budget cuts. Luckily we have Steve Dickenson our fearless director to help get through these tough times. Steve has already begun working feverishly to raise private donations to make up for the federal funds being cut. Steve has arranged a matching grant through the Cameron Foundation. Any money that is raised will be matched by the foundation. CVLAS is working on some events to raise awareness for CVLAS and news about those events is forthcoming. In the meantime if you would like to donate money or your services (we are always looking for volunteers) please get in touch with us. Anything would help, whether it be an hour of your time or even a $1 (which really equals $2 since Cameron will match it).
Legal aid provides a very valuable service to the local community. The great thing about America is we believe that everyone should have access to the judicial system and a chance to have their day in court. Legal aid allows for those without the economic means to pay for a private attorney to have their day in court.
Finally, just want to give a shout out to all the other interns in the Richmond and Charlottesville offices: Tom, Kati, Catherine, Maggie, Jake, and Hillary. Keep on keepin on. I promise the rest of the blogs will be less informative and boring.
CVLAS relies heavily on federal grants to survive. But like most federally funded projects, CVLAS has been facing budget cuts. Luckily we have Steve Dickenson our fearless director to help get through these tough times. Steve has already begun working feverishly to raise private donations to make up for the federal funds being cut. Steve has arranged a matching grant through the Cameron Foundation. Any money that is raised will be matched by the foundation. CVLAS is working on some events to raise awareness for CVLAS and news about those events is forthcoming. In the meantime if you would like to donate money or your services (we are always looking for volunteers) please get in touch with us. Anything would help, whether it be an hour of your time or even a $1 (which really equals $2 since Cameron will match it).
Legal aid provides a very valuable service to the local community. The great thing about America is we believe that everyone should have access to the judicial system and a chance to have their day in court. Legal aid allows for those without the economic means to pay for a private attorney to have their day in court.
Finally, just want to give a shout out to all the other interns in the Richmond and Charlottesville offices: Tom, Kati, Catherine, Maggie, Jake, and Hillary. Keep on keepin on. I promise the rest of the blogs will be less informative and boring.
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