VOLS stands with our colleagues and the legal community’s call to action to preserve the Interest on Lawyers Account Fund (IOLA) for civil legal services that help close the access to justice gap. Today, we ask you to do the same by taking digital action. Since the Fund’s founding, New Yorkers have relied on legal services supported through IOLA, in keeping with the Fund’s intent. The legal community was shocked this year when Governor Kathy Hochul made an attempt to divert $100 million from IOLA to the State’s General Fund and at the last-minute diverted $55 million from IOLA to other state programs. By taking action today, you can help prevent such future diversions. Show your support by submitting an email to key legislators in support of a new bill, S.9130/A.10253, that protects the true purpose of the IOLA Fund.
In New York, the cost of a private attorney prohibits access to justice for many of our neighbors, who lose the opportunity to resolve critical civil legal issues. IOLA funding must be protected for the legal services organizations providing this service.
This May, we reflected on our work relating to Older Americans Month, Wellness Week in the Law, Mother’s Day, National Small Business Day, and AAPI Heritage Month. Keep reading to see how our team supported older adults, small business owners, immigrants, incarcerated mothers, other members of our community, and each other. Be sure to follow along on social media for updates on our work.
Best,
Abja Midha | She/Her
Executive Director, Volunteers of Legal Service
Leadership and Staffing News!
VOLS is excited to share several pieces of news about our leadership team and staffing:
VOLS Senior Law Project: Peter Kempner, who has served as both the VOLS Legal Director and Senior Law Project (SLP) Director, has stepped into his role as VOLS Legal Director full-time. Pete will continue oversight of SLP, VOLS’ five other legal projects, and pro bono program. We are thrilled to share that Elisa Tustian is the new VOLS Senior Law Project Director. As SLP’s former Supervising Attorney, Elisa successfully enhanced our older adult services, including spearheading our La Extensión Comunitaria para Adultos Mayores initiative. VOLS also is excited to have a new bilingual (native) Mandarin/English speaking Staff Attorney in our Senior Law Project, Yan ”Yuyan” Yu. Yuyan has already begun expanding VOLS’ outreach and services to Chinese American older adults.
VOLS Immigration Project: We are very excited to welcome our VOLS Immigration Project Director, Keighly Rector. Keighly is an experienced legal services attorney and pro bono supervisor with a decade of practice representing the rights of immigrants. She has hit the ground running to support and empower immigrant youth.
VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project: We are thrilled to announce that VOLS will host Equal Justice Works Fellow Olivia Pickard, sponsored by Latham & Watkins LLP. Liv has spent the last semester working as a Pro Bono Scholar with the IMLP team and will join us in the fall to provide family law services to incarcerated mothers and parents. Learn more about her project.
Our Clients
We spoke with the new VOLS Senior Law Project Director Elisa Tustian about a recent client who made a lasting impact.
Tell us about your client
While the Senior Law Project serves adults age 60 and older, our clients are typically in the later decades of their lives. This client was particularly memorable because he was young. To see a client in his sixties have such an advanced neurological condition stays with you. Because of the progression of his illness, we determined a home visit would be necessary. We first conducted a capacity assessment over Zoom. When we saw him in person at the nursing home, it was easier to understand him because although his condition makes it difficult for him to connect the bilabial sounds (which are the sounds when you join your lips together), we have systems in place to assist clients who have pronunciation that would make it difficult for us to understand them. We refer to a chart and a question list to ask yes or no questions. We write names on paper and let them point if we need to. We’ll allow them to raise their fingers and point to people they want to name or use numbers with fingers.
One moment that stood out for me was when he asked for his favorite song during our visit. I was able to understand what he was saying and when the song played, he started to cry. That moment, I think it was hard [for him] – it was hard for all of us – but he needed a break for a moment. And then he was able to continue, and initial and sign everything himself.
What did you help the client with?
We helped our client with his Power of Attorney documents. He was going to need documents for his previous employer to officially retire, but he couldn’t sign them because of his mobility challenges. Of course, he would likely need to assign a Power of Attorney for other things down the road. Because his motor skills are rapidly affected by his condition, we had to act quickly.
Not everyone is mobile, so these nursing home visits are such an important service that we provide. It’s important for the access we can give to the public. We meet our clients where they are.
How will this impact their life?
He’s going to be eligible for retirement benefits and pension now. Not having a Power of Attorney was stopping that process from moving forward. There is also the peace of mind that this is in place for future needs. Having that kind of security in his life.
We Are Hiring!
VOLS seeks an experienced and motivated Supervising Attorney to lead our benefits and housing law work across our projects and partnerships. This role will supervise one Staff Attorney and report to the Legal Director. Visit our website for more information.
AAPI Heritage Month
Abja Midha, VOLS Executive Director, and the first BIPOC leader of VOLS, discussed the importance of mentorship, building networks, and her professional journey as an attorney and head of a legal services organization in this recent interview with The City Tutors host, Kevin “Dotcom” Brown.
Financial Institution Pro Bono Day
VOLS was proud to participate in the fifth Financial Institution Pro Bono Day (FIPBD) organized by Corporate Pro Bono and Pro Bono Institute. VOLS Immigration Project collaborated with Bank of America and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP on a screening clinic, and with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on a naturalization clinic. VOLS Senior Law Project worked with McGuireWoods LLP and Bank of America to provide pro bono legal services to older adults needing assistance with essential life planning documents. We also teamed up with volunteers from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Bloomberg, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group on a presentation to help older adults recognize and reduce the risk of financial fraud.
May Project Updates
VOLS partners with law firms and corporations and community partners to provide New Yorkers with legal clinics and community legal education presentations. Here is a sampling of our work in May:
VOLS Benefits Law Project (BLP) helps older adults avoid homelessness and meet basic needs through our Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) access legal clinics. This month, we went to St Nick’s Alliance Older Adult Center with pro bono volunteers from BNP Paribas to educate community members. VOLS staff and pro bono volunteers offered services in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
VOLS Immigration Project (IP) has partnered with Trinity Wall Street to provide bi-monthly screening clinics for recently arrived families downtown at Trinity Commons. During May, families met with a VOLS IP team member or trained pro bono volunteer from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP for an immigration legal consultation to learn about their eligibility for various forms of humanitarian immigration relief. The team also held a screening clinic for immigrant youth at Brooklyn College, and a clinic for students at International High School at Union Square, held at the offices of pro bono partner Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project (IMLP) co-created and led a workshop at the 2024 ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference. IMLP Director Stephanie Taylor, Dara Sheinfeld (Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP), and Kayla Abrams (Sanctuary for Families) presented “Neglected: Pro Bono Work on Civil Needs of Incarcerated and Formerly-Incarcerated Individuals in Women’s Prisons.” Moderated by Davis Polk’s Diane Lucas, the session provided a powerful, informative presentation about the civil legal needs of this growing population. IMLP will continue to share our unique model and support our colleagues in their own efforts to replicate it. VOLS IMLP worked with pro bono attorneys from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobsen LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP to provide education, advocacy, and counsel at Taconic Correctional Facility. IMLP continues to train attorneys on family law issues, this month conducting training for attorneys at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
VOLS Microenterprise Project (MEP) was invited by our partner BE NYC to join the NYC Small Business Month EXPO on May 29. We worked with 20 pro bono attorneys to provide 145 clinic consultations and presented to over 100 small business owners, providing individual consultations as needed on entity selection and intellectual property. MEP is grateful to pro bono volunteers from Cooley LLP, DLA Piper, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobsen LLP, Linklaters and Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP. In May, VOLS MEP joined with pro bono partner Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to hold an entity selection advise clinic for entrepreneurs. VOLS MEP also presented to entrepreneurs in the food industry through a new community partnership with Hot Bread Kitchen, employment law compliance for small businesses with MetLife and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and hosted a webinar on the Corporate Transparency Act with CAMBA, BE NYC and pro bono partner Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
VOLS Senior Law Project (SLP) continues to support older adults where they live, work and gather. This month SLP held legal clinics and educational programs with community partners Covello Older Adult Program, Greenwich House’s Center on the Square, Our Lady of Pompeii and Independence Plaza Older Adult Center, The Kenmore, SAGE, Willoughby Older Adults Club, Westbeth Older Adult Center and Riverstone Senior Life Services.
Public Comment and Testimony
VOLS MEP submitted comments to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on a proposed rule affecting newsstand operators. VOLS MEP recommended creating a more efficient path for newsstand workers to formally become owners of the stands they operate and work in.
TD Five Boro Bike Tour
On Sunday, May 5, 2024, VOLS rode as an Official Charity Partner in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour. Our Team of VOLS’ staff, pro bono attorneys, and supporters biked 40 miles of car-free streets through all five boroughs of NYC to raise money for VOLS’ free civil legal services for New Yorkers with limited resources. Congratulations on an excellent ride, Team VOLS!
