Memo's to Staffs
by LANC
Transition Board
During the its work with the creation of Legal Aid of North Carolina, the
Transition Board communicated on a regular basis with employees of the four
Legal Services Programs (LSNC, LASNNC, LSSP and NCLAP) to keep them informed on
its progress. Below are two of the memos provided by the Transition Board:
"Legal Services Personnel Needs for 2002" (April 27,
2001)
"Name of New Organization" (July 18, 2001)
The Transition Board and its various committees worked vigorously over a
15-month period (April 2001-June 2002) and fulfilled its charge to have a new,
statewide, legal services program (which it named "Legal Aid of North Carolina,
Inc.") operational by July 1, 2002.
**********
MEMO - April 27, 2001
MEMO: " Legal Services Personnel Needs for 2002"
DATE: April 27, 2001
TO: All Legal Services Field Programs in North
Carolina
FROM: Pender McElroy, Chair of the Transition Board for Legal Services
in North Carolina
The Transition Board for the configuration of Legal Services in North Carolina
would like you to know the intentions of the Board with respect to personnel
needs after the conclusion of the reconfiguration process. The Board
believes the reconfiguration is not expected to reduce the number, nor in
the near term, change the geographical location of staff attorneys,
receptionists, paralegals, secretaries and other positions utilized in the
delivery of Legal Services in North Carolina. It is anticipated that
approximately the same funding will be received in 2002, and it is
anticipated that the same level of services will be provided in the state.
It is our intention to keep the field programs informed as we proceed with the
reconfiguration process. The minutes of our Transition Board meetings will
be sent to the PLAN distribution list.
We take your concerns very seriously. We are, of course, in no position to
make any absolute promises, but the foregoing is a statement of the
intentions of the Transition Board.
**********
MEMO - July 18, 2001
MEMO: "Name of new organization"
DATE: July 18, 2001
TO: Legal
Services Programs in North Carolina
& Other Interested Persons
FROM: Pender McElroy, Chair,
Transition Board, Legal Aid of North
Carolina
Last month, the Transition Board solicited your feedback regarding the name of
the new entity that will be the result of a consolidation/merger of the four
programs represented on the Transition Board. We certainly appreciate and have
benefited from your feedback, and we want to ensure that you are informed of our
decision.
After due consideration at our June 15, 2001 meeting in Winston-Salem, the
Transition Board of Directors unanimously approved the name of "Legal Aid of
North Carolina, Inc." (LANC) for the new entity.
In addition to your feedback, we also received comments from our client
representatives, who strongly recommended that the term "aid" be included in the
name. Supporting comments included the feeling that such a term connotes free
services and is more easily recognizable for our clients.
Also considered were the results of the May 2000 national survey of the
general public by the research firm of Belden Russonello & Stewart and funded by
the Open Society Institute to assist NLADA and CLASP with its communication and
outreach initiatives. The survey suggested that the term "legal aid" appears to
be a generic term that is easily associated with legal advice in civil matters
for low-income people and expresses the values of caring for others and
fairness. Thus, the survey confirmed the recommendation of our client
representatives.
Moreover, you asked us to consider that the name: (a) identify the entity as a
statewide entity (that is, include the term "North Carolina"); (b) remain
concise (limit the length of the name); and (c) have marketability (be
recognized by our clients, attorneys and the general public, as well as be
easily found in the telephone book and on the Internet). We feel that the
selected name speaks to all of the above criteria.
Again, thank you for your comments and input regarding the name of our new
entity. As we move forward, we hope that you will actively use the new name
"Legal Aid of North Carolina" in your discussions about our new organization.
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.