Cancer Legal Advocacy and Services Project Re-opens

On June 1, Hiscock Legal Aid Society and Legal Services of Central New York reopened the Cancer Legal Advocacy and Services Project (CLASP), a collaborative partnership between the two legal services providers.

Since its inception in 2006, CLASP had been funded by the New York State Department of Health.  In May 2017, the Department of Health abruptly eliminated funding.

With generous support from the Allyn Family Foundation, Saint Agatha Foundation, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York, and Dr. Jeffrey Kirshner, as well as numerous donors from HLAS’s Justice for All fundraising program, LSCNY and HLAS were delighted to officially reopen CLASP  June 1, 2018.

“CLASP empowers cancer patients, ensures their access to medical treatment, and improves their quality of life by offering free civil legal services to individuals and their families who are going through what is often one of the scariest periods of their lives,” said Linda Gehron, President and C.E.O. “We are most grateful to be able to again offer this valuable program with our colleagues at LSCNY, the lead partner in this effort.”

CLASP offers comprehensive legal services, including: lifetime planning (power of attorney, healthcare proxy and living will, last will and testament, future care of minor children); access to healthcare (Medicaid/Medicare, private insurance, medical debt); income maintenance (SNAP, public assistance, disability benefits); family law (guardianship, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, divorce and separation agreement); employment (unemployment insurance benefits, medical leave, disability accommodations); and housing preservation/eviction prevention.

Low-income individuals and families affected by cancer should contact CLASP at 315-703-6599 to request free legal assistance.

Hiscock Legal Aid Society is pleased to announce the appointment of President and C.E.O. Linda Gehron, Esq. to serve on a new Commission on Parental Legal Representation.

This commission will examine the current state of mandated Family Court representation and determine how to ensure the future delivery of quality, cost-effective parental representation.

Ms. Gehron was appointed to this post by the New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.

“I’m honored to be given this opportunity to collaborate with legal scholars, judges and expert practitioners from around New York in continually improving programs that serve our clients,” said Linda Gehron, President and C.E.O. “The Hiscock Legal Aid Society has served thousands of clients in our mandated programs over the years so we have much to contribute, and much to gain, in being a part of these critically important conversations.”

The Commission will be headed by Judge Karen Peters, former Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department. The Hon. Karen Peters will work with the Office of Indigent Legal Services – particularly Director of Quality Enhancement, Angela Burton – to build upon the groundwork being done across the State to improve the quality of parental legal representation.

Various members of the legal community, including our very own President & C.E.O. Linda Gehron, sat down for a round table discussion with WAER’s News Director Chris Bolt about the effects poverty has on someone facing legal issues.

Also featured in the discussion were:

Ron Boxx, Head of Reintegration, Center for Community Alternatives,
Langston McKinney, Retired Syracuse City Court Judge,
Richard Ellison, College of Law Professor at Syracuse University,
Sally Fisher Curran, Executive Director, Onondaga County Volunteer Lawyers Project and
Dennis Kaufman, Executive Director, Legal Services of Central New York.

http://waer.org/post/city-limits-talk-round-table-legal-assistance

Hiscock Legal Aid Society is pleased to share that several attorneys and staff are being recognized for their work in promoting justice for all in the CNY community.

HLA Family Court Supervising Attorney Nancy Farrell and Assistant Supervising Attorney Amanda McHenry are the 2018 recipients of the Ella B. Family Justice Award.  This award honors attorneys or professionals who work to advance the quality of representation received by low-income parents in child protective and/or termination of parental rights cases.  Ms. Farrell and Ms. McHenry will travel to Albany to accept this award on April 20.

Senior Attorney James P. (Pat) Tracy was recognized by the Onondaga County Volunteer Lawyers Project (OnVLP) at their Volunteer Recognition Celebration April 19 as one of their Pro Bono Champions.  Mr. Tracy has worked at HLA for nearly 20 years and has focused his practice for the last several years on immigration law.

Client Advocate Jean Shirley will be receiving the Liberty Bell Award at Law Day 2018 being held on May 1.  The Liberty Bell is a prestigious award given to a non-attorney who promotes justice in an extraordinary way in their community.  Ms. Shirley has worked at HLA for more than 40 years.

“Nancy, Amanda, Pat and Jean exemplify the commitment, the professionalism and the dedication HLA attorneys and staff bring to work each day to carry out our mission,” said Linda Gehron, President and C.E.O. “They are dynamic leaders who serve our clients and our community extraordinarily well.”

In January, the Hiscock Legal Aid Society Board of Directors said good bye to long time and dedicated board members.  Collectively, these members have served on the board for more than a century.  They have each left their mark on the Board as well as the agency.  Pictured: Anita Cottrell, JoAnn Wallace, Anthony J. Malavenda, and Samuel C. Young.  Not pictured: Carl Pesko.

“We are grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and passion that each of these members brought to the Hiscock Legal Aid Society over the past decade,” said Linda Gehron, President and C.E.O. “Their efforts have helped us to promote justice for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

HLAS is saying farewell and good luck to Mary Tiby George, a senior law assistant who has been with the agency for more than four decades.  Mary witnessed the organization move from typewriter to computer, then to laptop with cloud-based software to seamlessly and confidentially handle cases.  Over the course of 44 years, Mary served thousands of HLAS clients, often in very tenuous circumstances, with compassion.  During her tenure, Mary saw the organization more than double in size, add new programs and expand from one building to two.

“We are profoundly grateful for the years Mary has spent with our organization” said Linda Gehron, President and C.E.O. of Hiscock Legal Aid Society. “During her time with us, Hiscock Legal Aid Society has evolved to meet he ever changing needs of our clients. Through all of this change, Mary has worked to promote justice for all with professionalism, kindness and compassion.”

HLAS welcomes a new Law Associate to our Appeals Program, Brittney Clark. She is from North Carolina and attended Gardner-Webb University, graduating in 2014, and Syracuse University College of Law, graduating in May 2017. She is currently awaiting admission to the New York State Bar. She came to HLAS because of its relationship with the local Syracuse community, and its mission to provide advocacy for those who are marginalized and underserved.

Shannon McGlew is a new Staff Attorney in our Civil Program. She is currently handling Unemployment Insurance cases. She attended school at Saint Bonaventure University graduating in 2014, and Syracuse University College of Law, graduating in May 2017. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in January 2018. She chose to work at HLAS because of our focus on helping the community and underserved populations. She also feels that there are many different learning opportunities here which are ideal for a new attorney.

HLAS is very happy to announce that Alison Oropallo has joined our Family Court Program.  Ms. Oropallo has a strong familiarity with and has developed a passion for Family Court work through the last year or so working with attorney Christina Cagnina.  She is a May 2014 graduate of the Florida Coastal School of Law where her team won a 2014 trial competition being named the “Best Criminal Team Overall.”

On December 6th we had our 4th annual Justice For All event.  Thank you to all who came.  We had a record number of people!  Thank you to County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney for speaking.  Thank you to all who donated so that we can continue to promote justice for all in our community.

A special thank you to our sponsors:

Attorney  Lucero Saldana Mistry joined our Civil/Immigration team as a Staff Attorney on Monday October 23.  We have hired Lucy under a new immigration grant from  Empire Justice to handle removal cases and other immigration work.  She graduated from the Florida Coastal School of Law in 2009 and has been handling asylum, removal and detention and naturalization cases since 2010.  She has been active in trial and appellate practice before the Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals and Administrative Appeals Office since 2010 as well. We are very pleased that she will be joining  our immigration staff.

We are happy to announce that Jennifer Racciatti joined the HLAS Administrative/Finance Team as Controller on Monday, October 23, 2017.  Jennifer graduated from SUNY Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in May 2006.  Most recently, she worked with the Bonadio Group as an auditor for nonprofits, employee benefit plans and governmental agencies.  She will report to President & CEO Linda Gehron and take over former Director of Finance and Benefits, Kari Cotter’s, responsibilities.  She will be assisted by our Staff Accountant Britani Sims and guided by Kari Cotter, who will telecommute part-time during a transition period.  We are very lucky to have the assistance of such a strong Finance Team!

Huge ID Suppression decision by the Fourth Department

Philip Rothschild, Supervising Attorney for the Appeals Program, has secured a new trial for his client upon the suppression of identification evidence by the Fourth Department.  Phil’s win has been featured in the July 12th eblast from the NYS Bar Association.  Read more here.

Take a look at the decision here.

The “HLA CHALLENGERS” finished the Syracuse Corporate Challenge on June 6 in the pouring rain. Go Team!