Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. Pro Bono Program Summer 2017

CELEBRATING THE VOLUNTEERS THAT MAKE THE PRO BONO PROGRAM AT LASSD SUCCESSFUL!

Thanks to volunteer attorneys, law students and legal professionals, LASSD’s Pro Bono Program helped more low-income San Diegans in 2016-2017 than ever before. We extend our sincerest thank you to the wonderful volunteers who assisted self-represented litigants at clinics, represented our clients in important legal matters and provided mediation services and training over the last year. At the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on June 9, 2017, 69 individuals and 7 organizations received the Outstanding Service Awards. The Wiley W. Manuel Award from the State Bar of California was presented to 113 individuals.

OUTSTANDING AWARDS 2016-2017O R G A N I Z AT I O N S :California Western School of LawThomas Jefferson School of LawUniversity of San Diego School of Law

Earl B. Gilliam Bar AssociationFilipino-American Lawyers of San DiegoPan Asian Lawyers of San DiegoSan Diego La Raza Lawyers Association

I N D I V I D U A L S :Amy Ashton Evan AndersenGreg BabbittEugenia BagdassarianRuben BarrientosHilda BetancourtDaniel BlattnerJosh BruserMichelle CamachoSharmistha ChakrabartiVanessa ChanMichael ColemanDelaina ContrerasStephanie EdwardsWendy DoChristian EscamillaFrank FerroneSteven Fleisher

Andrea FosterJim GarlandJorge GonzalesCassandra GutierrezBrian HarpSamuel HendersonMaribel HernandezferraesLauren HofflinLalo IlladesAshton InnissRima KhouryDovie KingPhilip KunkaShahidah LacyNoam LeeadTaylor LeuschenChristie LiuMike MaladyJesus MartinezAlma Mccoy Rosvelia Medina Hernandez

Eric Mendelson Roseanna MianaSteve MilgromArman MostaghimiRobert MulcahyCindy MuroLinh NguyenMisty NickGrace O’BrienNarie OhPaula PeelingEric RansavageHaleh RazzaghiKatie RiosFredy RivasHal RosnerPhoebe SadlerLesley Salvucci Scott SanchezLeonard Schneider

Lea ShapiroBill ShenkMaryam SonboliGeoffrey SorkinJacob SubbotinRamona SuchomelSamia SyedChristopher ThienChristopher ToddSofia TorrezLeilani VigilBarbara VillaAllison VoEric WaageKatrina WagonerAmy WangYing Wang

Haley ChristensonMichael ColemanDelaina ContrerasTrinity DanielWendy DoTatiana DoranBrittany DracupChristian EscamillaElida EspinozaFrank FerroneSteven FleisherTim FooteAndrea FosterMarisa FrenchJennifer GandaraFaye GarberVanessa Garcia Jim Garland Jorge GonzalesJaqueline Gonzalez Cassandra GutierrezBrian Harp Samuel Henderson

Francesca AguirreSheena AlvesJosh AnayaEvan AndersenAmy AshtonGabrielle AttigGreg BabbittEugenia BagdassarianRuben BarrientosHilda BetancourtDaniel BlattnerJosh BruserAnnalyse ButlerMichelle CamachoLaurel CarothersSharmistha ChakrabartiVanessa ChanJerome ChangTiffany ChenAlara Chilton Haley ChristensonJerome Chang Tiffany Chen

DJ RausaHaleh RazzaghiSarah RedparthLeah ReevesLaurie ResendizSteve RecordonYvonne RicardoKatie RiosFredy RivasLilia RodriguezClinton RooneyHal Rosner Phoebe SadlerLesley SalvucciScott SanchezLeonard SchneiderEricka SchweringLea ShapiroBill ShenkMaryam SonboliGeoffrey SorkinIrene Stewart Lea Shapiro

Bill ShenkMaryam SonboliGeoffrey SorkinIrene StewartJacob SubbotinRamona SuchomelAmy SweeneySamia SyedChristopher ThienChristopher ToddLayla TomaSofia TorrezBrisa VelazquezLeilani VigilBarbara VillaAllison VoEric WaageKatrina WagonerAmy WangYing Wang

WILEY W. MANUEL AWARDS

Maribel HernandezferraesLauren HuffinLalo Illade Ashton Inniss Kelley JamesCharles JohnsonRima KhouryDovie KingPhilip KunkaShahidah LacyDaniel LagunaLee LawlessNoam Leead Patric LesterTaylor LeuschenChristie LiuAdam McNeileKiley MacDonald Mike Malady Amanda Mansoorbakht Alan Marblestone Morgan Marsland

Jesus MartinezAndrea MartinezAlma MccoyRosvelia Medina HernandezEric Mendelson Steve MilgromAbbas MoghadamMary Rose MoncadaArman MostaghimiRobert MulcahySiobhan MurilloCindy Muro Linh NguyenMisty NickIan NickelGrace O’Brien Narie OhWilliam O’RohrtyParth Patel Paula PeelingAndrea Piontkovski Eric Ransavage

The following volunteers will receive the State Bar’s Wiley W. Manuel Award for donating more than 50 hours of legal services to Legal Aid Society of San Diego over the past 12 months.

Special Thanks

Kendra Hall Kevin Green Kim StewartLeah StricklandLisa CannonLoleena May

Marsha AminMelanie Gold Michael C. SullivanNichole HeederRobert ShaughnessyRyan Caplan

Sarah Weber Sean Sullivan Shanna PierceShay Dinata-HansonThomas RobertsonWes Dorsey

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Eric RansavageGeorge SchaeferHeather GuerenaHoward WayneJohn Addams Kate Langmore

Special thanks to our volunteers who participated in the Civil Appellate Self-Help Workshop! The workshop is a volunteer driven program and a partnership between the San Diego County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section, the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, the Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division 1, and the San Diego Law Library. We commend the following individuals for their involvement in the monthly program:

Ben RudinCatherine AsuncionCynthia CwikDennis TemkoDoug Field Ed Silverman Elisabeth Cannon

Importantly, the caregiver is oftentimes a family member or close friend. This not only benefits the person who needs help, but provides a source of income to the caregiver so they can care for their loved one.

Unique to this LASSD program is the creation of a comprehensive Share-Point platform. This platform will auto-mate some aspects of the case referral and management process as well as contain a repository of training materi-als for volunteer attorneys with no ex-perience in IHSS hearings.

If you are interested in participating in this new project, contact Pro Bono Program Manager Sara Raffer Lee at SaraR@lassd.org.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE MADE OUR CONSUMER TEAM’S NEW BANKRUPTCY CLINIC A RESOUNDING SUCCESS!

A very special thank you to our dedicated and talented computer tutors at the GARY AND MARY WEST SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER. Our volunteers help manage the successful Cyber Café, which is used by hundreds of low-income seniors every month. The tutors provide computer lessons and all-around technical support, facilitating seniors’ access to important information that helps them maintain their independence. These hard-working individuals make the Cyber Café a vital and dynamic part of the senior community.

LASSD received a Pro Bono Innova-tion Grant from Legal Services Cor-poration (LSC) to create an innovative program where pro bono attorneys will represent underserved adults and chil-dren in administrative hearings to help them obtain or keep their In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) benefits. IHSS is an important program admin-istered by the California Department of Social Services that not many peo-ple know about. It allows low-income elderly and physically or mentally dis-abled individuals who would otherwise be forced to live in a nursing home or group care facility, remain in their homes at a cost savings to the state. It does this by paying a caregiver up to 283 hours a month to perform “non-medi-cal personal services” such as bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, feeding, assistance walking, and transportation to medical appointments, “domestic and related services” including clean-ing, laundry, shopping, cooking, and “para-medical services” such as testing urine and blood, injecting insulin or oth-er medications, tube feeding, cleaning wounds, caring for a catheter, and more.

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INTRODUCING LASSD’S IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE

SERVICES PRO BONO PROJECT

Bridget PottertonChris HawkinsDan LickelDavid SetoDennis SchellDJ RausaFanny CherngKirsten WorleyMarshall Hogan Maureen Enmark

Kyle KimDeborah KialaGeorge OliverLonnie Lindsay

Michael O’HalloranMichelle GastilMikel BistrowRobert BucciRosvelia Medina HernandezSteve FleisherThomas Gorrill Victor Huerta

Connie CemanesFred DavisAudrey ElEllen Zelniker

IRENE STEWART I volunteer one day per week at the LASSD unlawful detainer clinic in downtown San Diego. I do it because it recharges my batteries. As a volun-teer, I mostly assist people filling out answers to unlawful detainer com-plaints in an attempt to stop, or assert legal rights within, an eviction action. Sometimes I assist people making an application for a civil harassment restraining order; i.e., an order pro-tecting them from violence. This is quite different from what I do for a living. I am a personal injury attor-ney with a busy solo practice in North County. I volunteer because it allows me to deliver concentrated amounts of help to people who are in desperate need. Many of the clinic participants are living in difficult financial circum-stances, some on the edge of poverty, and a few are homeless and trying to get their possessions back. I feel that I am giving them a voice in an other-wise impersonal system. I also find the experience tremendously life-affirm-ing. The clinic participants are almost all good people trying to do the right thing under very difficult circumstanc-es. Almost all are scrupulously honest in their responses –even when it hurts their case. They are concerned about playing fair in the system and worried about how the suit will affect their loved ones. Many display bravery and

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WHY I DO PRO BONO

humor in circumstances that would leave me in tears. At the end of each shift I come home to my family and say “we have a great life.” I am proud to be helping the clinic participants and very grateful for the opportunity.

JEROME CHANG For most of us, our careers are ful-filling and it’s a joy to work with our clients, whatever our practice area may be. But sometimes we feel the need to broaden our horizons and use our legal skills to help in different ways. Throughout college and law school, helping the underserved had been a focus, which included an intern-ship with a legal aid society organiza-tion in Georgia. Since moving to San Diego, the Legal Aid Society of San Diego is the perfect organization for me to put my legal training to good use while learning areas of the law new to me while helping those who need the assistance.

LAUREN HOFFLIN I really enjoyed volunteering at Legal Aid while I was between jobs. First, the Legal Aid staff and volunteers are a blast and truly a joy to work with. Sec-ond, I love helping people who need help, but whom are not sure how to navigate their way around the legal sys-tem. As lawyers, we all understand that unless you know what you are doing, lawsuits can be frustrating and intimi-dating processes. Third, often when you help someone, even if it is as minor as educating them on their legal rights or helping them file an answer to a com-plaint, most people are so grateful. Gen-erally a person just wants to be heard and wants someone to talk to, and once they get that they are so thankful and pleasant, there is no better feeling than that! I truly enjoy helping others. Last-ly, it’s great practice for client interac-tion in my law practice, since the clinic participants are from all different kinds of backgrounds and have different per-sonalities. It truly is a great experience to work with everyone here.

LASSD

in evicting the group from his home. Frank and Buddy came back to the self-help clinic to thank our volunteers, say-ing he would have “never been able to figure this legal stuff out” by himself, and was grateful to be able to live again in peace, in his home.

A 67-year-old Marine veteran needed a domestic violence restraining order against his 32-year-old son who had been staying in a trailer in the veteran’s driveway. The veteran had an enormous black eye from being hit by his son the night before. The son was an amputee and hit him with a metal arm after also hitting the veteran’s wife. The police arrested the son, who was charged with one felony and three misdemeanors. The veteran was afraid for his safety after this escalation and that his son would get bail and return to the resi-dence. Unable to afford an attorney, clinic volunteers were able to help the veteran obtain a restraining order and safety from further violence.

While many self-represented litigants seek assistance from our pro bono clinics, it is easy to overlook some of the veterans who come in needing assistance from our volunteers. Here are some of their stories: Volunteers were able to help a low-income, disabled vet named “Frank” with PTSD to obtain an Elder Abuse Restraining Order at our Hall of Justice Self-Help Clinic. Frank was the master tenant in a home, and the owner had given him permission to sublet a room to get extra income. The tenant to whom he sublet allowed in six other individuals without Frank’s consent or permission. Frank could not get these individuals to leave. They were using drugs on the property and threatening Frank and his therapy dog Buddy with vio-lence. The clinic assisted Frank with the nec-essary paperwork to petition the Court for a protective order. Frank obtained an order to protect himself and his therapy pet from the individuals threatening him, but was unable to have these individuals removed from his home through the restraining order.

Frank returned to the clinic distraught and confused as how to get these individuals out of his home. With the help of volun-teers at the clinic, Frank was able to file an Unlawful Detainer. Evicting unknown oc-cupants can be procedurally complex, but volunteers were able to explain the pro-cedures and court forms, and help Frank through the process. Frank was successful

A low-income 74-year-old veteran came to the South County Restraining Order Clinic seeking assistance to file an Elder Abuse Restraining Order. He needed a restraining order against another resi-dent of the retirement home where he resided. The other resident had threat-ened to hurt the veteran multiple times (yelling at him, getting in his face and trapping him in his wheel chair saying he was going to beat him up). The vet-eran feared for his life. These verbal threats made it difficult for the veteran to roam freely in his retirement home. He lived in constant fear of verbal abuse from the other resident, to the extent that he slept with the light on and a wooden stick near his bed.

Volunteers at the clinic were able to assist the veteran with court forms and a declaration describing the abuse he had suffered. The restraining order was granted to the relief of the veteran. He was very grateful for the assistance and thanked everyone at the clinic for the work they do to help victims like him.

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HELPING VETERANS AT PRO BONO CLINICS

With the help of individuals like Marsha Amin, Kimberly Stewart and Ed Silverman, the program continues to respond to the needs expressed by self-represented litigants and ad-just the educational presentation to address such needs. For instance, the workshop now spends more time on Settled Statements because many of the workshop participants did not have court reporters.Many workshop participants return multiple times during the life of their appeal. One workshop participant took advantage of the monthly work-shops and returned multiple times for assistance at different stages of his appeal. He was able to navigate the process and was successful in getting a complete reversal by writ-ten opinion in his case. That partic-ipant commented that the Appellate Workshop coupled with the San Die-go Law Library’s research assistance were the “key” reasons he was able to win his case. LASSD is proud to be a partner in such a ground-breaking project and thanks everyone involved in making the workshop a success. If you are interested in volunteering for this program, please contact Christine Pangan at ChristineP@lassd.org.

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO THE CIVIL APPELLATE SELF-HELP WORKSHOPThe Civil Appellate Self-Help Work-shop is a collaboration between Legal Aid Society of San Diego, SDCBA’s Appellate Practice Section, the Fourth District Court of Appeal, and the San Diego Law Library. The workshop completed a third year in 2017. More than 180 people have received infor-mation on the appellate process by volunteer attorneys since its inception. The workshop is helping to fill a gap in self-help legal services for those navigating the tricky appellate process.

MEET PRO BONO’S NEW LEAD ATTORNEY

While a longtime staff member with the Pro Bono Program, Christine Pangan is new to her role as Pro Bono’s Lead Attorney. Christine had been a Staff Attorney with the Pro Bono Program since 2008, running the South County Domestic Violence/Civil Harass-ment/Elder Abuse TRO Clinic. Thousands of individuals were assisted with TRO-related services by over 100 volunteer attorneys and law students each year under her supervision. Previously, she worked as a staff attorney for the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program where she ran their Domestic Violence clinics in the Madge Bradley Court-house and East County Courthouse. Christine is also Co-Editor of San Diego Lawyer Magazine, a publica-tion of the San Diego County Bar Association. We welcome Christine in her new position!

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VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIESVOLUNTEER AND MAKE OUR PROBONO PROGRAMPOSSIBLE! TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THE VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION FORMON THE BACK. WELOOK FORWARD TOHEARING FROM YOU!

We welcome new volunteers to join us at any time. No prior experience is necessary to participate in one of these programs and many are open to both attorneys and non-attorneys. We offer volunteer training and support.• Program Training Available with MCLE Credit• Training Materials Provided• Experienced Attorneys to Mentor Volunteers• Cases Prescreened Before Referral to Volunteer Attorneys• Volunteers are Covered by Our Malpractice Insurance

YOUTH & CHILDREN AT RISKMediation: Victim/Youth Offender; Family Intervention; Peer MediationTraining and Group Conferencing.

CONSERVATORSHIP CLINICPro per clinic, giving facilitator-like assistance to low-income litigants. A volunteer attorney may also provide representation to a client in a conservatorship action.• Probate Courthouse 1 409 Fourth Ave., San Diego Room adjacent to Dept PC-2 Mon 11:30 am - 3:00 pm Tues & Thurs 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC PROGRAM

• Advocate for low-income taxpayers who have disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. • Provide advice and representation to taxpayers trying to resolve tax controversies through the IRS appeals procedures or through litigation in federal court. • Assist at monthly clinics and represent taxpayer client before the IRS or in court. • Training and mentoring are provided. • Volunteer attorneys and certified public accountants are needed.

RESTRAINING ORDER CLINICDomestic Violence Restraining Orders• South County Courthouse, 500 Third Avenue, Room 155, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Mon - Fri 9:00 am - 3:30 pmCivil Harassment & Elder Abuse Restraining Orders• South County Courthouse, 500 Third Avenue, Room 155, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Mon - Fri 9:00 am - 3:30 pm• East County Courthouse, 250 E. Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020 Mon, Wed & Fri 8:30 - 12:00 pm• Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101 Mon - Fri 8:30 - 12:00 pm

UNLAWFUL DETAINER CLINIC

• Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101 Mon - Thur 8:30 - 3:30 pm, Fri 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

OPPORTUNITIES TO REPRESENT CLIENTSProvide advice or represent a client through the Pro Bono Program. Legal assistance can be provided over the phone, at LASSD’s offices or at your own office. Clients need help in a variety of areas including bankruptcy, probate, estate planning, non-profit corporate assistance and other civil and family matters.

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. Pro Bono Program Registration Form

NAME

STREET ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE

TELEPHONE FAX E-MAIL

DATE OF BIRTH SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER LANGUAGES SPOKEN

(ATTORNEYS) STATE BAR NUMBER DATE ADMITTED TO CA BAR

AREAS OF LEGAL PRACTICE AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN EACH AREA HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS? ______ IF YES, PLEASE EXPLAIN:

AREAS OF SAN DIEGO IN WHICH YOU ARE AVAILABLE TO TAKE CASES:

ALL AREAS CENTRAL NORTH COUNTY SOUTH BAY EAST COUNTY

PLEASE INDICATE WHICH AREAS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OBTAINING TRAINING AND TAKING PRO BONO CASES: MAIL, FAX OR E-MAIL YOUR FORM:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER CLINIC CONSERVATORSHIP Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. FAMILY LAW REPRESENTATION IMMIGRATION Pro Bono Program MEDIATION INVOLVING YOUTH CONSUMER 1775 Hancock Street, Suite 160 ECONOMIC IMPACT / CORPORATE AND HIGH IMPACT LITIGATION LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC San Diego, CA 92110 ALL TYPES OF CASES

UNLAWFUL DETAINER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

FAX: 619. 471. 2774 SARAR@LASSD.ORG

SIGNATURE: DATE:

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. Pro Bono Program 1775 Hancock Street, Suite 160, San Diego, CA 92110