Gastonia Office
111 East Third Avenue, Suite 200, Gastonia, NC 28052
MAP
704-865-2357; 1-800-230-5812 (toll-free; for clients only)
FAX: 704-865-2359
The legal staff of Legal Aid of North Carolina - Gastonia Office provides legal
assistance in civil matters to eligible, low-income clients who have
problems with their basic needs and live in:
Cleveland County,
Gaston County or
Lincoln County.
Community Economic Development cases (cases where
groups who cannot afford a private attorney seek legal assistance
with their charitable or educational activities) will be
individually reviewed and accepted, if possible.
In the News
LANC
elects new directors
(July 3, 2008 media release)
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Gaston County VLP
honors 4 attorneys for service!!!
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Geoffrey
A. Planer, Tara R. Sain,
Laura Crawford, Michael K. Hodnett
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The Gaston County Volunteer Lawyers
Program (VLP) honored four (4) attorneys for their 2006
pro bono case representations at the May meeting of the
Gaston County Bar Association.
Tara R. Sain (Arthurs
and Foltz); Laura Crawford
(solo practitioner); and Michael K.
Hodnett (Hodnett Law, PA) received VLP Service
Awards. Each attorney provided a minimum of 50 hours of
service to pro bono clients during 2006 in the family law
area. Geoffrey A. Planer
(solo practitioner) was the recipient of the 2006 VLP
Distinguished Service Award, having contributed over 130
hours to pro bono clients. [Planer also received the 2005
VLP Distinguished Service Award, logging over 100 hours of
attorney work to clients during that year.] The majority of
Mr. Planer’s work was in the bankruptcy area.
The Gaston County Bar Association
has a long history of outstanding pro bono participation and
contributions. It has twice received the NC Bar
Association’s Chief Justice Award, as well as the American
Bar Association’s prestigious Harrison Tweed Award.
Individual attorneys have also been recognized at the
national level for their pro bono contributions. The Gaston
Bar has about 125 members who are eligible to perform pro
bono work, with a high percentage of attorneys enlisting in
the program.
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Reeves
earns Cleveland County VLP Service Award!!! |
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Jeannette Reeves received the prestigious 2006 Cleveland
County Volunteer Lawyers Program Service (VLP) Award during
the Cleveland County Bar’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March
27, 2007. Reeves, an attorney with the law firm Teddy and Meekins
in Shelby, NC, provided individual client pro bono services,
co-counseled strenuously with a Legal Aid attorney in a family
law case, and served on the Local Advisory Council of Legal Aid of North Carolina-Gastonia Office for the three county area (Cleveland,
Gaston, and Lincoln counties). “Jeannette sets the best example
of attorneys who strive to provide access to the legal system
for those who otherwise could not afford a lawyer”, said Becki
Lowder, coordinator for the Cleveland County VLP. “Not only
is she a good lawyer, Jeannette is kind, a good listener, and
patient. These personal characteristics show in every area of
her life; all of us are fortunate to know Jeannette.” Reeves
is a graduate of the West Virginia School of Law and has worked
with Teddy & Meekins since 2004. Reeves specializes in the areas
of social security law, family law, and personal injury law.
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Jeannette ReevesTeddy
and Meekins
Shelby, NC
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Staff
Sharon S. Dove, Managing Attorney
Rachel J. Allgood, Staff Attorney, DVPI
Claudette Harvey, Legal Assistant
Becki Lowder, PAI Coordinator
(Private Attorney Involvement Program)
Jeffrey Lopez, Legal Assistant
Missy Phelps, Staff Attorney
Melanie Tarrant, Staff Attorney
Local Advisory Council
The Local Advisory Council is comprised of volunteers who live in
the communities served by the LANC-Gastonia Office and who are dedicated
to ensuring equal access to justice.
History
In July 2002, Legal Aid of North Carolina opened its Gastonia office as the result
of the consolidation of the four, federally funded (LSC-funded), legal
services programs in North Carolina, including part of the staff of
the
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont (LSSP).
Free legal services for low-income persons has existed in the Gastonia
area since 1979 when Legal Service of Southern Piedmont (Charlotte)
expanded to Gaston Counties. Following increased restrictions on LSC-funded
legal services programs in 1996, the legal services programs in North
Carolina created the
Legal Services
Planning Council ("Planning Council") to coordinate a comprehensive,
integrated, statewide system. In 2001, the Planning Council adopted
a plan to restructure NC legal services system, including the formation
of "Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC)."
Legal Aid of North Carolina (and its Gastonia office) began full operation on July
1, 2002 as the statewide, LSC-funded, legal aid program in North Carolina,
operating in all 100 counties through 24 geographically based
offices.
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.