About Legal Aid of NC's
Pro Bono Cases
Clients Profile
Need for
Private Attorney Involvement (PAI)
Legal
Aid of North Carolina
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Samples of pro bono cases
Article: "LANC provides legal aid to North Carolinians in need"
PAI
Coordinators - contact information
back
to "Pro Bono Service"
Volunteer for a Pro Bono case today!!!
Sign-Up FORM
CLIENTS PROFILE (LOW-INCOME)
Of the 20,000+ clients that LANC represented in 2005, more than half
of them had annual household incomes of less than $9,000. Below are
profiles of our clients and their cases:
Types of Cases
Age of Clients
Ethnicity
of Clients
Gender of Clients
NEED FOR PRIVATE ATTORNEY INVOLVEMENT (PAI)
With limited resources and a client base of more than two million, eligible,
low-income people, Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) has strong needs
for quality legal services involvement from the private bar. At LANC,
local
PAI (Private Attorney
Involvement") coordinators work to involve private attorneys in
appropriate legal representation cases:
LANC needs more attorneys to help our clients.
LANC can only
provide approximately one staff attorney to serve approximately
19,000 eligible clients (a ratio of 1:19000). In comparison, the
general population (8 million) of North Carolina has approximately
one attorney for every 465 potential clients (a ration of 1:465).
Referenced from data provided by the NC Bar Association.
LANC needs the expertise of the private bar.
Due to limited resources,
LANC staff is forced to focus on cases that help the majority of
our clients needs in the shortest amount of time. Thus, we have
gaps...cases that might take too long to serve a single client and/or
less developed expertise (in the substantive areas for the least
encountered case)...that private attorneys might be able to fill
at various times to help our clients meet their needs.
LANC needs private attorneys to help clients whom they may not
otherwise help. Of the 20,000+ clients that LANC represented in
2005, more than half of them had annual household incomes of less
than $9,000. These are not "billable" type clients (i.e., they cannot
afford to pay attorneys), but they still need access to equal justice.
Through Legal Aid of North Carolina, private attorneys can handle
selected cases, fulfill
pro
bono service and truly make a huge difference in people's lives.
LANC needs help with cases that it may not be allowed to handle.
Sometimes due to funding restrictions, LANC may not be able to accept
a case and may need to call on pro bono attorneys to help a client
NOTE: See the
"LSC Act"
and
"LSC Laws and Regulations" . Sometimes LANC attorneys cannot
take a case because it is listed as outside of our established priorities
(due to limited resources), but the client still needs help. Pro
bono assistance from the private bar is essential in meeting the
clients' needs in such cases.
LANC needs pro bono involvement to meet grant requirements. To
encourage LANC to "leverage" its grant(s), some funders require
that LANC use a percentage of their grants to encourage "private
attorney involvement." These funders recognize the tremendous value
of the utilization of the private bar's expertise to help meet the
needs of the low-income population. Simply put,
pro
bono service by the private bar helps LANC to secure funding...in
addition to helping with the huge case load.
PRO BONO CASES (SAMPLES)
(Some of the previously available pro bono cases, i.e., either taken by
a private attorney or now closed cases.)
Volunteer for a Pro Bono case today!!!
-
LANC-Wilson Office, DMV/Family
Law (Wilson County)
PBO# WILS-005-2008
DESCRIPTION:
A 93 year old lady in Wilson needs a birth certificate to renew her
NC driver’s license. (Staff at the Legal Aid of NC
office in Wilson
vow that this lady could pass for 60 anywhere on Earth!)
The client passed her most recent license renewal test.
However, due to new DMV requirements, she must produce a
birth certificate by the end of July. Her
problem is that it doesn't appear that a birth certificate
was ever filed for her. Further, her dates of birth
shown on several public documents do not match up. The
birth date on her current license is March 15, 1924.
The Social Security Administration has a birth date of
August 5, 1914, which is the same date she gave the Legal
Aid staff. An application for Social Security Account
Number, completed on September 22, 1949, lists her birth
date as August 27, 1921. She has school records with
birth dates of August 18, 1920 and September 16, 1920.
The family Bible containing family birth records was
destroyed in a fire. This lady's only income is
$662.00 per month in Social Security benefits, so she
clearly cannot afford to pay for legal help.
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Generate legally acceptable proof of client’s date
of birth and preserve her NC driver’s license.
CONTACT: Kin
Thompson, PAI Coordinator, 1-800-682-7902
-
LANC-DURHAM OFFICE, Consumer Matter (Franklin County)
DESCRIPTION: Elderly clients seek to recover funds invested with
a contractor/homebuilder/con artist. Clients convinced to invest
$59,000 from their retirement savings with individual who agreed
to build an addition to their home. Clients were told that they
could pay for the addition from the returns on their investing money
into some homebuilding sales claimed to be already arranged. An
agreement was signed to pay clients back their original investment
by July 2005. Upon request of the return of their investment and
complaining about the incomplete addition to their home, they were
told that the contractor’s accounts were being frozen due to a criminal
investigation. This was not true. Contractor will no longer respond
to clients calls.
DESIRED OUTCOME: To recover retirement monies.
-
LANC-DURHAM OFFICE, Consumer Matter (Durham County)
DESCRIPTION: Client has already obtained a significant (over $5,000)
monetary judgment against individual defendants. She is now seeking
to collect on those judgments. There is some suspicion that the
defendants are hiding assets to avoid payment of the judgment. Defendants
appear to have collectible assets.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client desires assistance in determining the assets
held by the individual defendants and then using all procedures
available to force defendants to pay judgments, including seizure
and sale of assets that are identified.
-
LANC-DURHAM OFFICE, Consumer Matter (Durham County)
DESCRIPTION: Client has already obtained a significant (over $5,000)
monetary judgment against individual defendants. She is now seeking
to collect on those judgments. There is some suspicion that the
defendants are hiding assets to avoid payment of the judgment. Defendants
appear to have collectible assets.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client desires assistance in determining the assets
held by the individual defendants and then using all procedures
available to force defendants to pay judgments, including seizure
and sale of assets that are identified.
-
LANC-DURHAM OFFICE, Consumer Matter (Durham County)
DESCRIPTION: Client has already obtained a significant (over $5,000)
monetary judgment against individual defendants. She is now seeking
to collect on those judgments. There is some suspicion that the
defendants are hiding assets to avoid payment of the judgment. Defendants
appear to have collectible assets.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client desires assistance in determining the assets
held by the individual defendants and then using all procedures
available to force defendants to pay judgments, including seizure
and sale of assets that are identified.
-
LANC-MORGANTON OFFICE, Real Estate, (Catawba County)
DESCRIPTION: Client signed contract for purchase of home in January
2006. Before purchase, City Inspector had noted several problems
with the home. Seller agreed to repair the problems and client believes
this agreement was part of the written sale contract. Seller sent
someone to repair the problems before closing and produced a document
saying all of the repairs had been made. Client moved into the home
and discovered that the needed repairs had not been made.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Have the seller make the repairs to the property
as agreed to in the contract.
-
LANC-MORGANTON OFFICE, Social Security - Paternity, (Burke County)
DESCRIPTION: Client is attempting to prove paternity of twin daughters,
so they may draw Social Security benefits on their deceased father’s
record. Client and father were married in traditional Hmong ceremony
in California in the mid-1990s, without a marriage license, but
the ceremony was video taped. Client and father lived together as
husband and wife until wife was approximately six months pregnant.
After the twins were born, their father had no contact with them
and provided no support. Client has no documentation to show that
the father acknowledged the children. Father died when kids were
about 18 months old. Issues: whether the marriage of the parents
is valid under California law and whether the daughters would be
able to inherit as natural children from their father under California
inheritance laws. To prove paternity under Social Security regulations
client must demonstrate that either the marriage was valid or the
children were eligible to inherit from their father under the inheritance
laws of California.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Receipt of benefits.
-
LANC-BOONE OFFICE, Estates claim affecting housing, (Watauga
County)
DESCRIPTION: Our client was the purported beneficiary of a trust
in a will. There is a copy, but no original will. Client is about
to be evicted because the opposing parties, the sons of the testator,
are denying there is an original will in existence and are adverse
to the client’s having the life estate in the testator’s condo and
the income from the corpus of the trust. The client was in a close
personal relationship with the testator, and is mentally disabled.
He will be destitute if he is kicked out of the condo where he was
placed by the testator and if he no longer has his utilities paid
for and other trust income. The client just received a demand letter
that insists that he move from the condo by January 31, 2007.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client retain housing and expenses.
-
LANC-PEMBROKE OFFICE - Real Property Issue (Robeson County)
DESCRIPTION: Disabled married parents of 2 minor children bought
a double-wide manufactured home/land package in 2002. It was not
explained to them that they had an adjustable rate mortgage that
is now at 13% and still adjusting upwards. Current mortgage payment
is now only $150 less than the couple’s monthly income. Loan documents
also reveal that unbeknownst to the clients, a second company owns
a second mortgage in the amount of $13,000 on the property. Clients
have learned that the manufactured home delivered to them was not
in fact new and had sustained mold and moisture damage prior to
the time of purchase. During the cold months of the year, the entire
family sleeps in the living room because the heating system has
never worked in the other parts of the house.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Clients want to be released from their sales contract
and have no negative information about this transaction on their
credit reports.
-
LANC-FAYETTEVILLE OFFICE - Consumer Issue (Cumberland County)
DESCRIPTION: A high-pressure salesman persuaded this deaf/mute client
to pay $1000 down on a vehicle and finance the balance of $3500.
The same day of the purchase, the engine caught fire and the vehicle
was totally destroyed. The dealership refuses to refund the money
paid by the client, and a finance company continues to bill her
for payments.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client wants her money back and for the finance
company to leave her alone. She also wants any negative information
removed from her credit record.
-
LANC-FAYETTEVILLE OFFICE - Property Tax Foreclosure Issue (Cumberland
County)
DESCRIPTION: The disabled mother of a minor child has been served
with a Complaint for Tax Lien Foreclosure showing that she owes
$4055.59 in back property taxes on her house. She bought the residence
with money she received following a house fire in which she was
severely burned and two of her children died. (Client is awaiting
an award of permanent disability.) She doesn’t think the tax assessment
is correct. Client’s husband ran off with another woman to Michigan
and does not support his family.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client wants help preventing tax foreclosure on
her house.
-
LANC-WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE, Housing/Employment (Forsyth County)
DESCRIPTION: Client is a 43-year-old veteran who is married
with two children. Client began working for a company in the spring
of 2006. Client also rented a home with many unfit conditions from
his employer. Through the employer's creative accounting and the
application of his wages for rent, Client rarely received any income
for the long hours he worked. Client and his family were ultimately
forced to move from the home after Client asked for his back wages.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Client needs assistance obtaining
compensation for his hours worked, and for rent abatement due to
the conditions of the property.
- LANC-GREENVILLE OFFICE, IRS Issue (Wayne County)
DESCRIPTION: A 43-year-old widowed father
of a 16-year-old son faces an IRS levy of approximately $84K. Client
and his late wife owned a small business together. From June 1999
to September 2004, he did not file the Employer's Quarterly Federal
Tax Return (form 941), since all funds were spent on wife's medical
treatment. Client can provide appropriate documentation for those
years.
DESIRED OUTCOME: To arrange a payment plan with the IRS and avert
loss of household income/assets.
- LANC-ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES, Adoption (Columbus County)
DESCRIPTION: A Columbus County couple wish to legally adopt a 5-year-old
girl who has been in their care for 3 years. Columbus County Department
of Social Services has legal custody of the child. (No one can recall
the Columbus County DHS ever placing a foster child with non-relatives
before, as is the case here.) The biological parents are willing
to voluntarily surrender their parental rights.
DESIRED OUTCOME: To stabilize the life of a pre-school child.
- LANC-ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES, Consensual Custody (Durham)
DESCRIPTION: 15-year-old girl lives with a Family in Durham. Her
father is deceased. Mother is around but cannot take care of her.
Family became her guardians in Jan-Feb. 2006. Girl gets $900 SS
Survivor benefits. Now family is saying they cannot take care of
her because of their own 3 children, that their benefits have been
reduced and they are overwhelmed. They are willing to give up custody
of this girl. Another family living in Durham has her brother and
is willing to take custody of her. In fact, girl moved on April
28, 2006 to live with this family. Mother will not object to custody
transfer. Both families want to resolve this as soon as possible.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Action to give custody to brother's custodians.
- LANC-BOONE OFFICE, Probate Matter (Wilkes County)
DESCRIPTION: Client is adult who functions at about a fourth grade
level. Client has copy of deceased friend's will (not original)
that gives client life-time rights to deceased friend's condominium
(including furniture and appliances) and a trust fund for client
to be used for the upkeep/fees related to the condo. The executor
(son of deceased) states that original will cannot be found.
DESIRED OUTCOME: The client would like to have the copy of the will
probated.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE, Employment Law/Work's Compensation (Wake
County)
DESCRIPTION: Worker's Compensation/Possible Wrongful Discharge Claim.
Client sickened by bacteria-bearing waste water on a plumbing repair
job on a weekend. Told by his supervisor he would have to wait till
Monday to apply an accident report. Was too ill to report to work
until Tuesday, when he was informed that he had been fired.
DESIRED OUTCOME: To claim any worker's compensation or insurance
benefits to which he may have been entitled.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE, Employment Law/Wage Claim (Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: Client's former employers had an odd "week in the hole"
plan, whereby a week's worth of an employee's wages was held with
the promise that it would be paid when the employee quit or was
terminated. Client asked for this money that had been withheld from
her wages when her employment was terminated. Was told by employer,
"We don't have that program anymore," and they would not pay her
the withheld funds.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Payment of the week's wages withheld from her paycheck.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE, Family Law/DV/Custody (Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: Client obtained a DVPO against her husband in 2005
after he severely battered her 15-year-old daughter from a previous
marriage. She applied for a renewal of the DVPO in February 2006,
but her request was denied. She seeks permanent custody of the 3
children from her marriage to the batterer and restricted supervised
visitation for him with those children.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Sole custody of children, their protection from
abusive father.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE, Family Law/Custody (Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: Client's ex-husband was in the USA illegally, running
a smuggling operation from his pseudo-construction company in Virginia.
He has now returned to Mexico with cargo vans purchased in the client's
name. She wants custody of the couple's children so he cannot take
them from daycare or school without her knowledge or consent. Also
wants her name removed from vehicle titles, as she fears they are
being used for smuggling purposes now.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Custody of children to prevent their being abducted;
assurance that client will not be implicated in possible criminal
activity.
- LANC-GREENSBORO OFFICE, Consumer - Federal Truth in Lending
(Guilford County)
Description: 25-year-old trying to get back and forth
to work with car she purchased six months ago; Retailer violated
the Retail Installment Sales Act and Federal Truth in Lending laws
by failure to make proper disclosures.
Desired Outcome: Car to be repaired at no charge or
replacement of car.
- LANC-GREENSBORO OFFICE, Landlord/Tenant - Illegal Contract (Guilford
County)
Description: Family of 6 moves into condemned home
and lives there 5 months not knowing that home had been condemned
over 1 year; attorneys' fees available.
Desired Outcome: 100% refund of rent paid to landlord.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE, Employment Law Case (Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: Young married mother of 3 is completing studies to
become an accountant. Last employer (franchise retail store) fired
her after the store security personnel stated that either the client
or another employee (who was also fired) must have been responsible
for discrepancies in the inventory. Client emphatically denies wrongdoing;
evidence substantiates her position. Wants legally enforceable agreement
with former employer that claims of her being a thief, which would
ruin her career before it starts, will not be made to prospective
employers.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Protect client's career potential, enabling her
family to move out of "the poverty level."
- LANC-Wilmington Office, Family Law/Adoption Case
(New Hanover County)
DESCRIPTION: Step-Grandparent, who has custody of grandchild and
wants to adopt grandchild in order to secure Social Security benefits
for child. Biological parents are willing to consent to adoption.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Grandchild have stability in life and procure Social
Security benefits.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE Attorney-in-Fact Fiduciary Responsibility
(Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: Client has been given power of attorney by her 30-year-old
daughter who is an in-patient in a drug rehabilitation program.
Daughter’s finances are in total shambles. Foreclosure is imminent.
Daughter has defaulted on several loans and credit cards and has
several bad checks pending. Client wants advice on handling her
fiduciary responsibilities properly.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Assist client in proper handling of her daughter’s
shaky finances.
- LANC-RALEIGH OFFICE Consumer Law (Wake County)
DESCRIPTION: 50-year old woman who provides shelter for her daughter
and 2 grandchildren paid $ to a local maintenance contractor to
repair her well and air conditioner. No work has been done. Contractor
will not return calls.
DESIRED OUTCOME: Recover client's money and possibly other damages
for fraudulent billing by contractor.
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and educational
purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact your
Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to
an attorney regarding your particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and educational
purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact your
Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to
an attorney regarding your particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.