2021 SECOND EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE Client Council Message from the Chair LSC Updates Meet Liza Merrill Special Missed Events & Highlights April Frazier Camara Testimony Annual Gala COD Network conference Risk Assessment Article Advocate Warriors: A Pair That's Inseparable Poetic Justice Corner Member Resource Center Upcoming NLADA Events CLIENT COUNCIL Ronald Simpson-Bey, Acting Chair, Client Council & NLADA Board of Directors Member Rosita Stanley, Vice Chair, NLADA Board of Directors Larry Carlton Leonor Cortez Liza Merrill Suzanne Small LaShung Willis Marquita Wise-Jones

Message From the Chair Greetings to all! I hope that your life is returning to some semblance of normal with the easing of the COVID-induced restrictions. As the Acting Chair of the Client Council, I hope you enjoy this newest issue of the Client Newsletter.   Over the summer, NLADA held the Exemplar Awards Gala, at which I had the honor of serving as the emcee. NLADA also hosted its 2021 Holistic Defense & Leadership Conferences. Both events were rousing successes and well attended. As you know, the NLADA Annual Conference is coming up in November. I hope to see you there! I’m also pleased to share that the Client council is in conversation with the executive director of Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO). LAWO is seeking to find ways for its client board members to be involved in NLADA and its organization.  In closing, please read and review the article I wrote around Risk Assessment Tools and their harm to the Client Community. The article is included further down in this newsletter. Thank you for your time, consideration, and support. Onward, Ronald Simpson-Bey

LSC Updates By: Julie Reiskin

Hello Friends: I am happy to share some updates here. I am happy to announce that we have kicked off the Housing Task Force, and we have clients as official members. I am the co-chair along with Frank Neuner, a fellow Board member. Shawntelle Fisher, Marquita Wise-Jones, and David Pearson gracefully accepted a request to join. There are few other non-attorney advocates involved as well. There will be subcommittees as well. In addition to eviction, we will be looking at “informal” evictions where they put you out without filing eviction court papers, such as making the place so uninhabitable that people leave, paying people to leave, etc. We’ll also consider issues that affect people living in mobile homes or manufactured homes, foreclosures, hotels, and motels. We’ll discuss how these issues affect “special populations,” which include folks who are returning citizens/in re-entry, communities of color, people whose first language is not English, people with disabilities, etc.   If you haven't seen yet, the American Bar Association released proposed revised standards for nonprofit legal aid providers.  These standards often inform the program quality standards that LSC uses for their grantees. The standards for the ABA were quite good in that they made it clear that addressing racial disparities internally and externally is imperative for the ethical practice of law in our communities. They go further than that and seem to embrace the community-centric model many of us have been promoting.   Also, in case you missed it, LSC released their Veterans Task Force Report. If you want to be invited to my quarterly meetings that happen before each LSC Board meeting so I can get your input, let me know via email at jreiskin@ccdconline.org or text me an email address to 303-667-4216. We began in-person meetings in October in Kansas City, Kansas. These quarterly meetings are a time for all of us to check in and understand the concerns around the country.  I share anything I know going on at LSC that may come up at the Board meeting and get information to bring back to the Board from our community. It is always nice to “see” everyone at these meetings.   As things open up again, we all know that we have come and have had too much injustice exposed over this past year to allow things to “go back to normal.”  I am proud to be part of this amazing group of client leaders who understand that “normalcy” is over-rated. Instead of the way things were, we need to build a truly equitable society and a place where all of us can thrive. Keep up the great work!!

Meet Liza Merrill

Liza Merrill is one of the newest members of NLADA's Client Council, and sits on the board of directors for Community Legal Services in Arizona. Liza Merrill didn't mind sharing her story with NLADA, so we hope you will find getting to know Liza interesting and inspiring.

Q:    Tell us about yourself; how long have you been working on access to justice, and in what capacity? LM: I found my calling when I started helping marginalized communities get access to healthcare in 2011. At that time, we lost our business that my husband spent 30 years building due to the housing recession. We had to start all over again. We were very fortunate to have family and friends who helped us during those tough times. As I continued to assist individuals and families from all diverse communities, it became apparent that having access to justice was as important as having access to healthcare. I was appointed to Community Legal Service as a client board member in July 2012, but my advocacy work started in 2011. Q:    What does a typical day look like for you? LM: Right now, I work for two companies. I collect data for a government entity and supervise a small team of six people. We go door to door and collect data from a sampling of households. After my regular work hours, I work as the Finance and operations manager for a Non-profit based in Oregon. COFA Alliance National Network (CANN) is an Oregon-based 501(c)4 non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for social and economic justice for the people of the three Pacific Island nations that have a unique Compact or treaty with the United States. The three COFA nations are The Republic of the Marshall Islands, The Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.    Q:    How did you come to know NLADA? LM: I was a volunteer client-board member for Community Legal Services in Arizona, and new board members attend an orientation that gives a history of CLS-AZ. That was the first time I had heard of NLADA. Then I had an opportunity to attend NLADA conferences and workshops that provided training and learning opportunities for client board members of state programs throughout the nation. I met so many interesting people and was inspired by their passion and dedication to their local communities.   Q:    What inspires you most about the work? LM: What inspires me about the work are the client members. They are survivors and have pushed past their personal tragedies to be passionate and dedicated members of NLADA. Many of the people that I have met and volunteer with have experienced loss and trauma. It may have been a personal loss, such as losing a loved one, ending a challenging relationship, or financial loss. The trauma can range from physical, mental, and emotional situations. Despite their heartbreaking stories, these individuals have found a way to heal by advocating for others and making sure their struggles and voices are heard by people or organizations who can make the changes. But it doesn’t stop there. If the people in power aren’t listening, then we speak louder and become the change-makers ourselves. Q:    What disappoints you most about the structural system that we work in as justice advocates? LM: The structural system does not work and can be so complex. We as advocates may push for changes at the federal level and succeed, but it does not affect or improve situations at the state or local level; or vice versa. We are constantly trying to change centuries-old beliefs and fears so ingrained in others’ minds that to describe it as systemic racism causes people to become more entrenched and opposed to change. We are a nation where people can start taking trips into space. However, we cannot provide affordable and appropriate representation in the courts or equitable healthcare to marginalized communities. Q:    If there was one thing you could change for the people you work with, what would it be? LM: There are so many things I would like to change because I believe in access to justice, appropriate healthcare, healthy food, clean water, and safe shelter. These items are so essential that it truly disheartens me that so many people in our country still struggle to have these needs met. So, to roll it into one thing, the change I would like to see is that all people have access to their basic needs that would uplift and support them to become productive and successful people in their communities.   Q:    What advice would you give other client advocates like yourself? LM: Self-care, first and foremost. We cannot help others if we don’t take care of our own physical, mental, and emotional health. Education, be willing to learn new concepts and ideas.  Experience and risk, be willing to work outside your comfort zone. Train and attend trainings, be willing to learn new skills, and include more tools in your outreach toolbox. Q:    What do you hope for the most in achieving equal justice for all? LM: I hope that: We continue to advocate and push for change in the justice system. We continue to dismantle the systemic racism that is apparent in the justice system. We create a leadership pipeline and trains the next generation of advocates to continue the work that we and those before us have started. We coordinate our efforts with other communities outside of our own, such as the LGBTQ communities, BIPOC, and worship communities. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much!” Helen Keller 

Special Missed Events & Highlights

NLADA’s Voice on The Hill: Making Strides for the Voice of the Client The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris brought a flurry of activity aimed at tackling the problems of racial injustice in America early this year. NLADA is proud to share that April Frazier Camara, our Incoming President & CEO, Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Innovation, and Chair of the Black Public Defender Association, was called upon by the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Sub-Committee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to provide testimony about needed reforms. A hearing entitled From Miranda to Gideon: A Call for Pretrial Reform was held on March 26, 2021, wherein April gave testimony focusing on the client voice and the critical need to ensure that people directly impacted by failed policies and discriminatory practices are relied upon in forging new strategies to dismantle injustices.   Cautioning Chairman Nadler, Subcommittee Chair, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member Andy Biggs, and Subcommittee Vice-Chair, Cori Bush, Ms. Frazier Camara said, “Historically, public safety is defined for impacted Black communities instead of with them.” Her testimony to all subcommittee members framed who the “experts” really are in shaping new policy. She said, “…We must use this moment to do things radically different…Congress must include skilled Black public defenders and directly impacted communities in the conversation and work with them to advance race equity.” Otherwise, she said, we risk repeating failures of the past.   April and everyone at NLADA will continue to push for client leadership at policy and development tables. Clients don’t need to be “given a voice.” They have a voice of their own, and we celebrate April’s work to ensure those voices are heard.

If you missed the NLADA 2021 Exemplar Awards Gala, you can watch the full gala program and the corporate conversation by clicking the boxes or links below. https://youtu.be/q_dKS43vzaI https://youtu.be/SeOcZiTaBH4

Clients Heard at the Community Oriented Defender (COD) Network Conference NLADA hosted the annual COD summer conference on June 14th and 15th.  Practitioners, including clients, from across the U.S. gathered virtually to share new strategies and galvanize efforts to dismantle racism in the criminal legal system.  The conference theme, Reckon & Rise, was a call to action to reckon with the discrimination and disparate treatment of Black and Brown people.  It was a rally of sorts to galvanize the defense community and energize them to keep fighting for long-overdue reforms. Former clients who now lead their own advocacy initiatives, work in public defender offices as investigators, client advocates, lawyers, and peer navigators attended the conference and shared their insights and expertise with the community.    NLADA Board member and current Client Council Chair, Ronald Simpson Bey, led the closing plenary in discussion with other voices of lived experience.  Ronald was joined by Dr. Grace Gamez, American Friends Service Committee in Arizona, Saad Soliman, Peace by Peace, Inc., and Ashley Golden, DSW candidate and JustLeadership Fellow, who all provided salient words of wisdom for the defense community.  In the words of Ronald, “the voices of those closest to the problem and the solutions” were on stage to share their stories and sage advice about relying on people who have survived the criminal legal system to inform, influence, and drive needed reforms.  A recording of this inspirational presentation is available for review on NLADA’s Facebook page.     

Risk Assessments Tools and the Harm They Cause the Client Community By: Ronald Simpson-Bey

As the Acting Chair of the NLADA Client Council, policy, practice, and procedures that affect the Client Community are always of the utmost concern to me. One of the most pernicious and harmful practices imposed on the Client Community is Algorithmic Risk Assessment Tools. These tools are in widespread use across the criminal legal system today. One class of algorithmic tools, in particular, that is heavily relied upon in the criminal legal system is the risk assessment instruments designed to predict a client’s future risk for misconduct and dangerousness. These predictions inform prosecutorial and judicial decisions that impact a person’s right to liberty, the pursuit of justice, and happiness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 31,000 people incarcerated in the federal prison system sought compassionate release. The Bureau of Prisons only approved 36. More than 49,000 people in federal prisons have tested positive for COVID-19, and at least 256 have died, including 35 people whose compassionate release requests were left pending. They let people die in prison that shouldn't have had to die. One of the common denominators of each request was the use of an analytical tool to determine the future dangerousness of the person requesting to be released. Risk assessment tools use both static and dynamic factors to predict “risk.” For people in impacted communities, static factors – such as the age of arrest and zip code – tell the story of structural racism and overpoliced neighborhoods that have suffered decades of disinvestment in basic needs and overinvestment in law enforcement, resulting in children being criminalized and put into the school to prison pipeline. They also draw upon data created through an inherently racist justice system and perpetuate misconceptions and fears that further drive mass criminalization and incarceration. The only thing that the data derived from risk assessment tools can help predict is discrimination and barriers faced by people with records.  These tools are not necessary, and they only cause harm at every step of the criminal legal system, from pretrial to sentencing to evaluation for programming, supervision, and release. Researchers in the fields of sociology, data science, and law have found risk assessment tools to be fundamentally flawed. Twenty-seven prominent researchers from MIT, Harvard, Princeton, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Columbia have published an open statement of concern regarding the use of these tools as a means of lowering pretrial jail populations. Their concerns are merited at all points in the system.  Risk assessment tools perpetuate and exacerbate existing biases in the criminal justice system. One of the most concerning sources of bias comes from the historical outcomes that these tools learn to predict. If these outcomes are the product of unfair practices, it is possible that any derivative model will learn to replicate them rather than predict the true underlying risk for misconduct. As an example, though race groups have been estimated to consume marijuana at roughly equal rates, Black Americans have historically been convicted for marijuana possession at higher rates. A model that learns to predict convictions for marijuana possession from these historical records would unfairly rate Black Americans as higher risk, even though actual underlying rates of use are the same across race groups. Policy solutions and data must not entrench misconceptions and fears but rather eliminate them and foster true justice and equality. Risk assessment tools underpin the debilitating systemic and structural racism imposed on Black and Brown communities who suffer the harms from these racist anachronisms. The creators of these tools refuse to share the analytics behind them, and for good reason because these tools reflect the inherent racism and biases of the tool's creators as well as the structural and systemic racism of the systems in which they operate. For these reasons and more, the NLADA and other national organizations should oppose their use until the inherent problems are solved. The Client Community thanks you.

Advocate Warriors: A Pair That's Inseparable By: Catherine Harris

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” These words most certainly describe Ms. Rita Dixon, a member of the Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) board of directors and longtime community advocate. Dixon worked as a nurse throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s until going back to school to become a social worker. Although that was nearly 50 years ago, she still works tirelessly to pursue justice for low-income individuals and families who cannot afford legal representation.  Over the span of her career, Dixon has acted as a support system to not only her clients but to her colleagues as well. GBLS Board member Catherine Harris can attest to this: “Ms. Rita means the world to me. She is my spiritual sister, my mentor, and my supporter.” Dixon and Harris first met in 2002 when Dixon first joined GBLS. After meeting, they became virtually inseparable in their advocacy for low-income clients and families in need of legal representation. Together, they tackle mental health issues, push for systemic changes, and any topic of interest that presents itself.  What stands out the most about the pair is their selflessness and emphasis on putting their clients first; they are willing to support any given cause and do so without any charge, any day, and any time.  A project Dixon and Harris have been working on together is “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents have unfortunately passed due to the virus. Many grandparents have had to step up and raise their grandchildren, most without outside support. Along with this comes the issue of homelessness, depression, and other mental illnesses, and devastated families. Harris hopes that one day she and Dixon could have the honor of going to the White House to speak about their journey and vision honoring “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.” This past June, Dixon celebrated her 92nd birthday. To show her love and gratitude for Dixon, Harris expresses her thanks:  “Ms. Rita, thank you for believing in me, encouraging me, celebrating my accomplishments throughout the years, and never giving up on me or my visions. My vision also became your specialized supporter mission. You cared about my family trauma and traveled with me as my advocate and coach of faith. When so many would say, ‘give up Catherine, it is a waste of your time,’ you told me to stay in position at all times and keep my faith in God.” Catherine Harris gives an extra special thanks to Yvonne Parker, Trevor Clement, Latasha, and Rita Dixon. They have all been advocate warriors every step of the way in her journey for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Harris also wants to thank everyone who helped their cause during the pandemic, including Latasha Gorman and the GBLS staff, administration, and Board members.  Catherine Harris also gives thanks to her four children and grandchildren because none of this would be possible without them. Catherine Harris continues to work tirelessly for her foundations, L~JEEEM MAGNIFICENT ACTION ASSOCIATION RECOVERY LEGISLATION JUSTICE FOUNDATION and ROME’A JEWELRY FOUNDATION, as well as she continues to make strides for her advocacy work in her community.  In honor of National Grandparents' Day, Catherine Harris hosted an in-person celebration breakfast at her church, Grant AME in Boston, MA, for grandparents and seniors.

Poetic Justice Corner By: Catherine Harris

LOVE WHAT MATTERS LOVE WHAT MATTERS IT’S MY BETTER BUSINESS IT’S MY MATTER LOVE MY GROWTH CREATING MY MATTERS OF BEING BETTER LOVE MATTERS WHEN U WANT TO DO BETTER WHAT MATTERS TO ME IS THAT I STRIVE DAILY TO BE BETTER BECAUSE THIS MATTERS MY 20 YEARS JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTED MY BETTER LIFE NOW THIS MATTERS TO ME BETTER & BETTER FOR MY LIFE GROWTH IS MY MATTERS I WILL ALWAYS “SURGE” TO DO BETTER A ROLE MODEL TO MY FAMILY, I MATTER WAKE UP FAMILY AND DO BETTER, IT MATTERS I AM YOUR MATRIARCH AND HAVE A GREAT CARING HEART TO DEMONSTRATE TO U DO BETTER BECAUSE U MATTER TO ME LOVE WHAT MATTERS NOT WHAT BATTERS YOUR LIFE PLEASE LOVE WHAT MATTERS YOUR “SURGING” GROWTH OF SUCCESS LOVE U THIS WILL ALWAYS MATTER LOVE WHAT MATTERS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, CATHERINE HARRIS (AKA: GRANDMOTHER LOVE)

Member Resource Center

Click the banner to go directly to NLADA's COVID-19 Update and Resources website.

The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only exacerbated existing legal challenges faced by low-income and vulnerable people in the United States, it has also highlighted new issues in many substantive areas. Across the country, advocates in civil legal aid, public defense and affected communities are responding to ensure access to basic human needs and safety. NLADA is coordinating with an array of experts in both the delivery of legal services and access to justice, as well as experts in specific practice areas and leaders in providing civil legal aid and public defense. This is a space for advocates to share resources, discuss responses and strategies with one another, identify experts in particular issues, and find policy developments affecting the delivery of legal services and access to justice. This page will be updated and expanded as the pandemic and its collateral consequences continue to develop. Please email Kellianne Elliott with submissions you might have for consideration in the relevant categories. Additional resources pertaining to access to justice for low-income and vulnerable people are available from the American Bar Association Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force and Standing Committee on Legal Aid & Indigent Defendants, Association of Pro Bono Counsel, Legal Services Corporation (LSC), Management Information Exchange (MIE), Pro Bono Institute, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Voices for Civil Justice, and many other important partners highlighted on this page. If interested, you can find information on NLADA events and operations here.

Click the IRS banner or link below to gain knowledge about the Child Tax Credit (CTC) program, tips, and repayment options. https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:79de2ec3-7cc5-4f36-bf7c-a1af91976155

ARE YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES PAID?  For inquiries about renewing your membership or how to join NLADA please contact membership@nlada.org.   Help us expand our community to your colleagues and peers! Buy-2-Get-1 FREE Form Client Members who  sign up together may receive a free membership. Your Acting Chair, Ronald Simpson-Bey CHALLENGES YOU to bring in 5 members or more for additional chances of FREE memberships with the offer above. Sign up two new client members and your next membership is on us!

 New Client Member Resources Did you know NLADA has a special membership category just for clients?  Through a NLADA membership, clients engaged in the world of equal justice can take advantage of all of NLADA’s standard member benefits, along with our specially-curated content and engagement opportunities just for clients, including: Curated news and information. Access to the free Client Member listserv (OPEN NOW!). Opportunity to engage through the NLADA Client Council and weigh in on important issues facing clients across the country. Tailored programming at the Annual Conference. Steep registration discounts, or FREE registrations when offered.

2021 NLADA Events - SAVE THE DATE!

NOV 09 2021 National Farmworker Law Conference & New Advocates Pre-Conference Training Virtual 2021 Virtual New Advocates Pre-Conference Training happens on October 27-28, ahead of the The 2021 Virtual National Farmworker Law Conference, which will take place virtually on November 9-11. NOV 09 2021 Annual Conference Virtual and Nashville, Tennessee The 2021 NLADA Annual Conference will take place November 9-12 virtually and with some activities in Nashville, Tennessee.

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