In order to meet our mission, Community Legal Aid structures its work around advocacy priorities, legal practice groups, and projects.

Advocacy Priorities

  • preserving housing rights
  • surviving violence
  • improving financial well-being
  • strengthening families
  • promoting healthy lives + homes
  • creating systemic change

 

Legal Practice Groups

Community Legal Aid’s practice groups define the organization’s advocacy priorities within each legal practice area.

Each advocate is assigned to one or more practice groups. Advocates support each other through case discussion, cross-training, and co-counseling cases.

By coming together, our team can better identify trends and systemic problems facing our clients and communities and are well positioned to collaborate on impactful solutions.

  • Consumer 
  • Criminal Records
  • Education
  • Family
  • Housing
  • Immigration
  • Public Benefits
  • Tax

 

Projects

Legal Aid's projects organize our legal work, collaborative partnerships, and outreach activities to most effectively meet the needs of our clients while also being stewards for positive change in our community.

Population-based projects provide holistic legal services to specific at-risk populations. Several other projects are aimed at mitigating a threat or barrier specific to low-income residents.

Each project has a core mission of how it supports the organization’s overarching vision.


 

Advocating for Returning Citizens (ARC)

Promoting a fresh and equitable start for returning citizens by removing barriers to employment and housing, including criminal record sealing and certificates for qualifications for employment.

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Debt Relief Project

Giving people a fresh financial start by reducing or eliminating debt, including consumer, utility, and student loans, as well as helping consumers assert their rights in debt collection and garnishment matters.

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Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law (HEAL)

Finding solutions to non-medical barriers that keep people from being healthy by providing holistic legal services to improve disparate health and learning outcomes related to students with special learning needs, infant and maternal health, and chronic disease.

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HelpLine

The entry point for residents applying for help from CLA. HelpLine staff provide equitable support for applicants, offer applicants transitions from collaborative partner referrals, and also provide additional legal information and referrals for those not eligible for CLA’s services.

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Homeownership Project

Ensuring low-income homeowners have safe, stable, and affordable places to live by working directly with homeowners facing foreclosure to save their home, improve their financial situation, and assert their rights in foreclosure proceedings.

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Immigrants and Refugees Project

Ensuring that new Americans have equal access to the civil justice system as they enrich our culture and economy through holistic legal services for immigrants and refugees facing housing, financial, family, employment, or educational barriers that keep them from thriving.

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Learning is for Everyone Project

Ensuring that students have access to a quality education by empowering parents and care-givers to advocate for children with special needs, addressing root causes in educational disparities such as the school-to-prison pipeline, and providing holistic legal services to families of students with legal issues that are barriers to educational success.

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Legal Assistance to Victims Project

Helping survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and stalking find safety and independence through holistic legal services for victims and vulnerable children to help them gain protection from physical, mental, and financial abuse.

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Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)

Protecting the rights of low-income taxpayers by assisting taxpayers with controversies with the Internal Revenue Service, educating low-income residents about their tax rights and responsibilities, and advocating for equitable tax policies for low-wage earners.

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Neighborhood Law Project

Promoting economic development in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods by providing legal advocacy, expertise, and support to strengthen grassroots efforts in expanding social justice and racial equity, empowering disinvested communities, and building coalitions for positive social change.

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Parenthood Project

Dedicated to reducing disparities in visitation for noncustodial parents, especially marginalized populations, through legal education, support, and direct representation.

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Public Benefits Project

Promoting economic justice for working class and low-income residents by helping clients obtain or maintain unemployment compensation, federal and state government benefits, including social security, disability, food and cash assistance, and Medicaid.

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Tenant Assistance Project

Ensuring low-income renters have safe, stable, and affordable places to live by helping renters maintain their home, improve their living conditions, and assert their rights in eviction proceedings.

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Veterans Legal Project

Supporting veterans and their families through holistic legal services, as well as collaborations for supportive services with local honor courts, VA hospitals, and veteran services commission offices.

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Volunteer Legal Services Program

Expanding CLA’s capacity for protecting the legal rights of working class and low-income people through partnerships with private attorneys, law firms, and corporate counsel offices.

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