Briefly Speaking: January 2023
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
“Being on the Legal Aid Society attorney referral list has been a fulfilling thing for me. I’ve gotten to know people who are in situations through no fault of their own and helped them to achieve a successful outcome.”
- Brian Abell, Abell Attorneys
VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY HELPS VETERAN AVOID HOMELESSNESS
On his last tour in Afghanistan, Captain Henry Duke Livingston was gravely injured while trying to remove an explosive strapped onto a juvenile civilian. When Captain Livingston returned to the U.S. having completed his service in the Marines, he experienced more trauma when he lost his wife, and then his children in a tragic accident. Despite his profound loss and injury, Captain Livingston did what every good marine does, and kept on moving forward.
Life would once again take another blow when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. In the late summer of that same year, a bureaucratic snag delayed the payment of his social security disability check and Captain Livingston fell behind on his rent. Captain Livingston was served an eviction notice while in Hospice care.
That’s when Legal Aid Society’s Volunteer Eviction Defense Project stepped in, and a private attorney, Brian Abell, began to represent Captain Livingston. He negotiated with Captain Livingston’s landlord and helped the Captain apply for rental assistance, persuading the landlord’s attorney to press his client for a ledger and a copy of the lease to expedite rental assistance. Time was of the essence for Captain Livingston. Because of Mr. Abell’s expertise, Captain Livingston remained in his home and was able to receive hospice care with the dignity and respect he deserves, not only as a fellow human being but as a Veteran.
IMPACT OF SERVICES
Legal Aid Society’s Volunteer Eviction Defense Project launched in 2021 with the support of the Legal Services Corporation's Pro Bono Innovation Fund. Since that time, 117 low-income tenants have been assisted by one of the programs 27 committed and compassionate attorneys.
According to a 2019 report by The Center for American Progress, “Extensive research indicates that tenants with legal representation are much more likely to avoid an eviction judgment and to keep possession of their homes than unrepresented tenants.”
In fact, Legal Aid Society’s own numbers reflect this; of the total Volunteer Eviction Defense Program cases closed in 2022, 80% of clients avoided eviction.