PLAN Newsletter of the Legal Services Planning Council
November 2002
PLAN is the newsletter of the Legal Services Planning Council, the
collaborative planning and coordination organization of providers of
civil legal assistance in North Carolina. The mission of the Planning
Council is central coordination of a sustained, comprehensive, integrated,
statewide system to provide the most effective legal services to people
in poverty in North Carolina. The Planning Council is funded by an IOLTA
grant and by contributions from the member organizations.
IN THIS ISSUE
2002 Planning Council Membership
- Michael Hamden, Chair
Executive Director, Prisoner Legal Services, Inc.
- Ted Fillette, Vice Chair
Assistant Director, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc.
(formerly Deputy Director, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont)
- James A. Barrett, Pisgah Legal Services
- Victor Boone (Program Director Group)
Legal Aid of North Carolina/Raleigh
- Stephon Bowens, Land Loss Prevention Project
- Michelle S. Cofield, North Carolina Bar Association
- Richard Fay, LANC Transition Board
- Susan Gottsegen, The Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina
- Deborah Greenblatt, Carolina Legal Assistance
- Mary Lee Hall, Farmworker Unit, Legal Aid of North Carolina
- George Hausen, Legal Aid of North Carolina
- Pearl Nealey, Client Council
- Evelyn Pursley (ex officio), IOLTA
- Gina L. Reyman, Legal Aid of North Carolina
(formerly Executive Director, North Central Legal Assistance Program)
- William D. Rowe,
North Carolina Justice & Community Development Center
- Kenneth Schorr, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
NOTE: The 2002 Planning Council membership includes five (5) individuals
who now work for Legal Aid of North Carolina. Prior to the establishment
of one LSC-funded statewide program in North Carolina on July 1, 2002,
these individuals represented the following entities: Victor Boone (Program
Director Group, Legal Services of North Carolina); Ted Fillette (Legal
Services of Southern Piedmont); Mary Lee Hall (Farmworker Unit, Legal
Services of North Carolina); George Hausen (Legal Services of North
Carolina); and Gina Reyman (North Central Legal Assistance Program).
Barbara Degen, attorney with the Morganton office of Legal Aid of North
Carolina, is coordinating the Planning Council. Please contact Barbara
(828-437-8280, ext. 18, or
barbarad@legalaidnc.org)
if you have questions about the Planning Council or wish to receive
additional information about the projects described in PLAN.
2003 Planning Council Meeting Dates
- Friday, January 31, 2003 (Location to be determined)
- Friday, March 7, 2003 (Location to be determined)
- Friday, June 20, 2003 - Asheville
- Friday, September 19, 2003 (Location to be determined)
Planning Council meetings are open to any who wish to attend. Please
contact our Coordinator (Barbara Degen,
barbarad@legalaidnc.org)
if you plan to attend a meeting to accommodate attendance and lunch
needs.
2003 Planning Council
Based on the recommendations of its Futures Committee, the Planning
Council adopted a new organizational structure and bylaws at its November
8 meeting. The new bylaws are effective January 1, 2003. Highlights
of the bylaws follow.
Mission
The mission of the Planning Council is unchanged: Central coordination
of a sustained, comprehensive, integrated, statewide system to provide
the most effective legal services to people in poverty in North Carolina.
Purposes
The purposes of the Planning Council are:
- Strategic planning and coordination among LSC and non-LSC funded
providers of civil legal services for all indigents in N.C.
- Strategic prioritizing of requests for funding from IOLTA and
other non-federal funding sources from among community members
- Identifying, developing, and supporting non-federally funded
organizations that serve clients in geographic areas and with issues
not adequately served
- Helping build alliances with other organizations regarding specific
substantive issues
- Helping the community member organizations work with LSC, Congress,
state organizations, and other funding or regulatory bodies
- Developing and maintaining a strategic plan for members using
law schools’ and various bar associations’ resources, as well as
others
Membership
The Planning Council is a voluntary association of certain organizations
“who are composed of low-income persons, who provide legal services
to low-income persons in North Carolina, or who assist in the provision
of such services.”
Joining the Planning Council
Any member of the Council may, with the support of another member, nominate
a new organization for membership. A prospective member organization
may also nominate itself, with the support of at least two members of
the Council. Nominations must be submitted in writing to the Council
at least fifteen days before the meeting at which the Council is to
consider the nomination. For details on the nomination procedure, please
contact Barbara
Degen.
Funding the Planning Council
The Council will be funded by membership dues calculated as a percentage
of each member organization’s gross annual budget. The bylaws contain
a provision for waiver or deferral of dues payment based upon hardship.
The Council may also seek funding through grant applications for specific
projects or needs.
Advocacy Coordination
Richard Klein has agreed to chair the Advocacy Coordinating Committee.
Richard is the southeastern regional manager for LANC, a senior managing
attorney of the Wilmington office of LANC, and the long-time chair of
the Employment and Education Task Forces. Advocates (from either LANC
or non-LSC-funded programs) should feel free to call Richard at any
time to discuss issues or projects that have statewide or regional impact.
The issues or projects can involve any area of substantive law and any
advocacy strategy. Richard may be reached at (910) 763-6207.
In the last edition of PLAN, it was reported that a group of public
benefits advocates had met to discuss coordination of advocacy strategy
around a range of specific issues. Under leadership provided by the
Justice Center, a group of consumer advocates and a group of immigrant
advocates have begun to work together to coordinate regional and statewide
advocacy.
The consumer advocates met in August and again in October. The group
includes representatives from Council members LANC, LSSP, Pisgah Legal
Services, LASNNC, and the Justice Center as well as from The Financial
Protection Law Center. The group has established three sub-committees,
which have made initial recommendations regarding policy, litigation,
and community education. The recommendations will be reviewed and discussed
at the Consumer Law Task Force meeting to be held on Wednesday, December
4, 2002 at the North Carolina Bar Center in Cary.
The immigrant advocates met in August. The group includes representatives
from Council members LANC, LSSP, LASNNC, Pisgah Legal Services, Prisoner
Legal Services, and the Justice Center as well as from the UNC School
of Law. The group identified training as a priority need for the organizations
planning to establish Immigration Law Practice (LSSP, Pisgah & LASNNC)
and set up training committees on immigration law and immigrant issues,
with the Justice Center offering to establish the training agenda and
sessions. The first such training (hosted by the Justice Center) was
held November 14 and 15 with a focus on an introduction to Immigration
Law practice and the planning of the particular type of Immigration
Law practice the participants are interested in. Staff from LSSP, Pisgah,
LASNNC, Casa Guadalupe and International House attended. The Justice
Center and CLINIC also hosted a training on Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) practice on November 1, 2002 for approximately 30 immigrant advocates.
Advocacy and Training Coordinator Position Funded!
The North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center has recently
received the wonderful news that the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has
awarded it funding that can be used to support a statewide advocacy
and training coordinator position. A job description for the position
is being drafted and it will be circulated to the PLAN mailing list
upon completion.
Funding Update
The 2002 session of the North Carolina General Assembly made no changes
in the dedicated funding legislation enacted in 2001.
Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. (LANC)
The last edition of PLAN included the names of the majority of the Board
of Directors of LANC. However, a few directors had not been selected
at that time. The remaining Board members are:
- Reid “Cal” Adams, Attorney, NC Association of Defense Attorneys
- Susan Cole, Client Representative, Triad Region
- David Daggett, Attorney, 21st Judicial District
- Willie C. Dawson, Attorney, North Carolina Bar Association
- Allyson K. Duncan, Attorney, North Carolina Bar Association
PLAN is edited by Barbara Degen, Planning Council Coordinator, and
distributed primarily by E-mail. Hard copies are mailed to subscribers
who do not have E-mail access. For additional information about the
Planning Council or to subscribe to PLAN, please contact:
Barbara Degen
Legal Aid of North Carolina
211 East Union Street
Morganton NC 28655
Telephone: 828-437-8280; 1-800-849-5195
Fax: (828) 437-9397
E-mail: barbarad@legalaidnc.org
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website
are for information and educational purposes only and do not
constitute legal advice.
Also please note that Legal Aid of North Carolina does not
provide legal assistance by E-mail. 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.