Last month I had the pleasure of spending 3 days with our Chief Justice, judges, legislators, court staff, attorneys and advocates from diverse parts of Pennsylvania and other parts of the nation for the first PA Guardianship Justice Summit. This dynamic event, hosted and planned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts, reflects the historic moment in our Commonwealth and country as we look to transform a system which has profound impact on fundamental individual rights of autonomy and independence.  

In essence, guardianship gives the rights of self, of decisions over one's life, to another. It should be the last resort, "the nuclear bomb," so to speak, and all alternatives explored. And certainly, one should have an attorney, a zealous advocate, by one's side throughout this invasive legal proceeding, a right not yet guaranteed in our Commonwealth. 

We at SeniorLAW Center were pleased to help plan and speak at this event and are involved in every aspect of guardianship reform - from legislative advocacy promoting a right to counsel and other judicial enhancements (SB 506) with aging, disability and Bar Association colleagues across PA, helping propose and implement a successful $3 million federal grant for the courts with the Office of Elder Justice, to launching our unique legal aid program through public interest law fellowships from our great partners the Independence Foundation and Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging.  

A seminal moment in this work, which encompasses due process, fairness, dignity, health, independence and access to justice. What can be more fundamental than that?  

Much gratitude to Chief Justice Debra Todd; Senior Judge Paula Ott, Chair of the Advisory Council on Elder Justice and of the Summit; the staff of the Office of Elder Justice and the Administrative Office of PA Courts, speakers and planners, all who made the Summit so extraordinary. 

My best,

Karen C. Buck, Esq.

Executive Director

We are excited to introduce three new SeniorLAW Center staff members! Madeline Jarvis joins the Intake, Education, and Pro Bono team as its first Administrative Coordinator. Madeline shares: “My role with SeniorLAW Center is dynamic – just what I was hoping for. I truly enjoy serving as ‘triage’ at the Philadelphia office, supporting older adults facing emergencies and connecting them to expert legal advocates and staff attorneys. My responsibilities also include supporting Life Planning Clinics, and maintaining the HelpLine Intake voicemail boxes where requests for legal assistance are screened. Additionally, I have so enjoyed getting to know my colleagues who have been so kind in welcoming me to the team!” 

Rita Eichman, Esq. and Sebree Harris, Esq. have joined our Tenant Rights team as Staff Attorneys. They will represent and assist older tenants facing eviction, housing instability, uninhabitable conditions, illegal lockouts and other housing problems and crises, preventing homelessness and promoting healthy and safe shelter. Rita shares: “I am so excited to be working at SeniorLAW Center. From my first day here, I have felt welcome and valued as a team member even as I am still getting my feet wet. It is so nice to have clients that you really feel you are making a difference for. Finally, the mentoring has been amazing.” Sebree Harris states: “Since I’ve been employed at the SeniorLAW Center, everyone has been welcoming and helpful with getting me running on all cylinders. It has been a pleasure working with everyone.” 

Welcome Madeline, Rita, and Sebree!

We are proud to serve and partner with the Hispanic community every day and to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th to October 15th. We pay tribute to our team, board, and volunteers who are part of and serve the Hispanic and LatinX communities. It is our privilege to seek justice for and advocate on behalf of beautifully unique multilingual multicultural communities of older people in our city and nation, and our unwavering support for diverse Hispanic communities every day. Below, we share experiences from our staff on how they honor their heritage and support these communities through their work at SeniorLAW Center:

Margarita Martinez speaking with a SeniorLAW Center Client

A native of Colombia, Margarita Martinez practiced law in her home country and also secured a Master's Degree in Law in Spain before coming to the U.S. She recently celebrated her 18th anniversary at SeniorLAW Center. 

“Privilege is the word that best describes the opportunity I have to serve Hispanic older adults. Coupled with the enormous difficulties of the golden years in aspects related to their health, isolation, economic need, and language, they face obstacles in accessing legal services. It is difficult to navigate laws and the legal system. The lack of knowledge of their rights and the language barriers may keep them from advocating for themselves and their rights. To me, it is a privilege to be the liaison, advocate for them, and help them find solutions to their legal problems. I felt that privilege when I recently helped an older woman with limited English proficiency to preserve her house after the death of her husband. We were able to get a claim against her home waived, clear her husband's estate, and set her up with a new deed and advanced planning documents - completely free of charge. I was so honored to help her to stay in her home and age in place." - Margarita Martinez, Senior Legal Advocate.

Jonathan Lopez, Administrative Coordinator, Tenant Rights:

"On National Hispanic Heritage month, I think on who I am, who I want to be, and how I got here. I grew up in a loving and close-knit Mexican-Ecuadorian family. My parents, older brother, and I shared a house with my grandparents, who of course to this day do not speak a word of English. I remember as a kid, being extremely close to my dad, who was born in Mexico. I thought he was the coolest person to walk the earth and proudly proclaimed to complete strangers that he was my dad, as if they cared. At that point in my life, I didn’t realize where you came from, or where you were born mattered the way that I deeply understand it does now. I have vivid memories of a day off from school when I was six years old, when I went with my parents to a government building because they needed to file some paperwork. The process felt like it was taking ages, but it was purposeful. We had been told to wait while they discreetly called immigration services to take away my father. I watched, confused, as multiple guards grabbed my father and took him into a side room, while my mother cried helplessly. I didn’t understand what was going on, I thought it was all part of it. My mom wiped her tears away and said we have to go home without him. I walked into the room where they now had my dad seated and surrounded. I handed him the action figure I brought with me that day to keep me busy. I said, “give it back when you get home.” I looked up angrily at the guards, who were now in tears after that exchange. Days, weeks, months passed by as I slowly began to realize that he wouldn’t be coming back."

Click here to read more about Jonathan's story and his work at SeniorLAW Center

During this month, we also want to take a moment to thank our pro bono partners and volunteers who serve the Spanish-speaking and Hispanic communities through their donations of time and talent to SeniorLAW Center and our clients. Hear from one of our bilingual pro bono attorneys and SeniorLAW Center board member on their work:

“Through Blank Rome's longstanding partnership with SeniorLAW Center, I have been able to reconnect with my passion for the Spanish language and Latin America. I have been able to specifically focus my work with Spanish-speaking elders and the Latin community by providing important life-planning legal services for low-income seniors in the Greater Philadelphia area.

I joined SeniorLAW Center’s Board of Directors three years ago where, in addition to my fiduciary duties as a board member, I focus my efforts on trying to find ways to expand outreach in the Latino community. I encourage my fellow lawyers who have proficient Spanish speaking abilities to join and volunteer for SeniorLAW Center. It's not only a great way to continue practicing the Spanish language but also a means to help and connect with - or reconnect with - the Latino community. Whether or not you speak another language, join us in this work to move justice forward for those upon whose shoulders we all stand.” - Will Cruse, Esq., Board Member

Learn more about Will’s connection to Latin America and service to Spanish-speaking clients as a Pro Bono attorney for SeniorLAW Center here.

We are in awe of our staff, board and volunteers, and their commitment to addressing the needs of the diverse Hispanic communities we serve year-round. Thank you, Margarita, Jonathan, and Will!

Thank you to the Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Jesse Bunch for your in-depth article about the Eviction Diversion Program and how some landlords in the city attempt to bypass this process by illegally evicting tenants. The illegal eviction of thousands of families in Philadelphia each year poses a serious threat to their housing security and puts their long-term health at risk. We are proud of Staff Attorney, Tenant Rights Fran Wilensky, Esq. for her zealous advocacy helping older tenants in Philadelphia to fight illegal evictions, including our clients Donna and Charles, whose stories are featured in the article. To learn about them and these issues facing tenants, read Jesse's article here.