Legal Aid law firms to consolidate
in Winston-Salem
July 11, 2007 Media Release
(Winston-Salem, NC) – Legal
Aid of North Carolina (LANC) and the
Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina
(LASNNC) will consolidate their operations in
Winston-Salem on July 16.
Both organizations are
nonprofit law firms that provide free legal services in civil
(non-criminal) matters for low-income people in the six county area
surrounding Winston-Salem. Both law firms provide lawyers who
represent poor people in civil cases, such as domestic violence,
Social Security, evictions, consumer issues, child advocacy and
Hispanic outreach.
All LASNNC staff and revenue streams will be transferred to
the Legal Aid of North Carolina – Winston-Salem Office. The
combined staff will move to a new, larger office on
the fourth floor of the Liberty Plaza at 102 West Third
Street in downtown Winston-Salem, next to the Forsyth County Hall of
Justice.
“This operations change will benefit low-income people in
Winston-Salem,” said Cal Adams, Jr., a board member and former chair
of both organizations, “and it makes economic sense for the legal
aid staffs. By combining forces, we feel that the new Legal
Aid staff can provide high quality legal services to even more
clients and do so in a even more efficient manner.”
In 2002, most of the legal aid organizations in North Carolina
consolidated to form Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC).
The new, nonprofit law firm was the result of a
multi-year planning effort by 15 federally funded, legal services
programs and multiple supporting and/or affiliate groups in North
Carolina. LANC became the sole recipient in
North Carolina of federal grants from
the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), was required to serve all 100
counties in North Carolina and opened an office in Winston-Salem
that same year.
“Actually, the Society and LANC have co-counseled on multiple cases
over the year,” noted Michelle Reingold, executive director of
LASNNC. “With the cosolidation of resourses, we will be in the
same office, use the same case management system and operate under
the same priorities for our clients in Winston-Salem. Through
this one legal aid office in Winston-Salem, we’ll be able to raise
funds and solicit support more efficiently.”
“Over the past five years, LANC has matured into an efficient and
successful statewide law firm,” states Glenn Barfield, 2007-08 chair
of the LANC board of directors. “Its staff attorneys work to
give the poor in this state a fighting chance at justice, in the
most basic and important matters facing them, such as obtaining fair
housing, fair credit and fair access to economic opportunity.”
“This consolidation of the staffs of two high quality law firms is a
positive step toward our mission to ensure equal justice in our
community,” said Hazel Mack-Hilliard, senior managing attorney for
LANC. “The need to continue to provide life-altering solutions
to critical legal issues is crucial to ensuring that all people in
our community can survive, grow and prosper. The Winston-Salem
community has supported legal aid and its clients for more than 45
years, and now we can move forward in an even more united manner to
help people in our area.”
The Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina (LASNNC) was the
first legal aid program in North Carolina, founded in 1962 by
the Young Lawyers Division of the Forsyth County Bar Association.
LASNNC was twice awarded, along with the Forsyth County Bar
Association, the American Bar Association's prestigious Harrison
Tweed Award.
Adams noted that LASNNC will remain an active 501(c)(3) nonprofit
entity with a board of directors and a building, which it plans to
sell. The LASNNC Board is still evaluating alternate ways to
use the revenue from the sale of the building.
Legal Aid of NC (LANC) is a
statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in
civil matters (non-criminal) to low-income people in order to ensure
equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic
opportunity. To be eligible for LANC’s
free legal services, clients must have incomes of 125% or less of
the federally established poverty guidelines.
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CONTACTS:
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Hazel Mack-Hilliard (Regional Manager &
Senior Managing Attorney, LANC), Winston-Salem, NC; 336-725-9162
-
Michelle Reingold (Managing Attorney. LANC;
former executive director, LASNNC), Winston-Salem, NC;
336-725-9162
-
Reid C. “Cal” Adams (Attorney,
Womble, Carlyle,
Sandridge & Rice, PLLC), Winston-Salem, NC; 336-721-3600
-
Glenn A. Barfield (Attorney,
Haithcock, Barfield, Hulse & Kinsey. PLLC), Goldsboro, NC;
919-735-6420
-
George R. Hausen, Jr. (Executive Director,
LANC), Raleigh, NC; 919-856-2564
-
Dock Kornegay (Director, Public Relations
& Development), Raleigh, NC, 919-856-2564
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.