VOLS Newsletter: August 2022

August News: Summer Reflections

When VOLS moved offices earlier this summer, one unexpected benefit was packing nearly 40 years of archival materials. Our staff had the pleasure of seeing through firsthand news accounts, letters from clients, and statements from pro bono attorneys, the impact that VOLS made when we opened our doors to help vulnerable New Yorkers with their legal challenges. VOLS’ work remains critical to meeting the community need. 

We have a packed calendar of virtual and in-person clinics, pro bono trainings and community education presentations planned for fall. For now, the heatwave seems to have abided, Beyoncé’s new album dropped, VOLS PBAC End-of-Summer BBQ tickets are open, and our new offices are unpacked and ready to safely meet with clients in person.

We hope you enjoy your final days of summer – and whether you contribute to our work as a community partner, pro bono advocate, financial supporter or some combination thereof, please know you are an important part of VOLS’ history, present and future. 

Best,

Abja Midha, Executive Director

Volunteers of Legal Service

VOLS + CUP Launch Event

VOLS Senior Law Project invites our community partners and pro bono partners Tuesday, August 30, from 1-1:30pm to the virtual launch of our new life-planning tool. We’ve collaborated with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) and designer www.clarajlu.com to create this new visual tool as part of CUP’s Public Access Design program that uses design to make complex issues accessible to the New Yorkers. Register for the VOLS + CUP Launch Event and join us!

Pro Bono Spotlight: Nathan Noh

“I think it helps, in particular, with the more human aspects of lawyering… Practically, being able to break down complicated legal terms and regulations and communicate in a simple and understandable way—especially with my non-lawyer clients—is something that has been really enhanced by the pro bono work I do.”

We spoke with VOLS Pro Bono Advocates Council member Nathan Noh, an Associate at Ropes & Gray. Read more about Nathan’s career and pro bono experience here. 

Updates from the VOLS Legal Team

VOLS Senior Law Project (SLP) has been busy this past month holding in-person clinics at Our Lady of Pompeii, Independence Plaza, Covello, Westbeth, and Center on the Square Older Adult Centers, as well as holding virtual presentations and clinics for Hudson Guild and Riverstone. SLP held a pro bono training for lawyers, who are federal employees, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice on how to do wills and advanced directives for our clients. Our partnership with the Office for Access to Justice is built on the premise that all attorneys should have pro bono opportunities, including those in government service. Later this month, SLP’s Director and VOLS’ Legal Director Peter Kempner will be speaking on a panel about “Building Your Pro Bono Program,” held by CLINIC on 8/31. More details here. 

Throughout August, immigrant families have been bussed to shelters, churches, legal services organizations, and local community-based organizations in New York City by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. This was a single-handed decision by the Texas Governor and occurred without coordination with New York City leaders. The VOLS Immigration Project (IP) is among the legal services providers that met with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and joined rapid response coalitions to strategize and discuss a collaborative plan to respond to this crisis. In other news, this week VOLS IP partnered with Mixteca to conduct a presentation on Deportation and Removal Defenses. During this time of uncertainty, information is power. We work to educate the community on the deportation process and their rights when they are facing removal from the U.S. 

New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and VOLS wants to be as inclusive and considerate of our community as possible. To that end, the VOLS Unemployed Workers Project (UWP) is completing an Unemployment Insurance (UI) Hearings toolkit translated into the 10 NYC languages (Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Korean, Arabic, Urdu, French, & Polish). This toolkit will be instrumental in assisting those without a legal background during a UI hearing. UWP also continues to hold UI eligibility presentations with our various community-based organizations for immigrant claimants. Yesterday, the UWP also gave a presentation at Voces Latina, a community-based organization in Queens. Thank you to all of our community partners!  

VOLS PBAC End-of-Summer BBQ 

Celebrate endless summer with New York City’s most fun pro bonos! The VOLS Pro Bono Advocates Council is thrilled to host an End-of-Summer BBQ at Picnic Point at Governors Island on Saturday, September 10 @12:30pm. Lots of fun details – including our PBAC Special Sauce – so please click here to buy your ticket and ask your friends to do the same.

*ticket sales benefit VOLS’ mission to provide high quality, free civil legal services in NYC

Client Success Story

The VOLS Unemployed Workers Project is excited to share one of their recent success stories. Ms. X, a Chinese immigrant, had been subjected to a hostile work environment at the beginning of the pandemic, where her employment failed to respond to several requests for enrollment in their health insurance plan. With grave and mounting fears of becoming sick with COVID-19, she felt she had no choice but to quit her job. She was successfully able to apply and receive unemployment insurance over the next several months and was able to take care of her health. Despite just cause, the Department of Labor determined that she had not been eligible after reviewing her case earlier this year, as they are doing to thousands of New Yorkers. With the help of one of our many pro bono attorneys, Ms. X won her hearing and did not have to repay nearly $20,000. We are happy and grateful to have our pro bono partnerships, as well as our talented staff attorneys that work with clients like Ms. X who depend on VOLS’ high quality, free legal services. 

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