PRO BONO LINKS NEWSLETTER                                    June 2011

Connecting the Legal Services Community                    volume 2, issue 4  

Other AVLF News!

o   AVLF's Children's Law Programs have benefitted tremendously from the work of our summer interns! Liz Host from Emory University Law School is working with us through the funding of the Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program. Marina Bushkanets and Sheree McGill from Georgia State University Law School are working with us as part of GSU's externship program.

 o  On May 13, 2011, Alston & Bird partner Tod Sawicki represented a Spanish speaking domestic violence victim and client of AVLF in her pursuit of a Temporary Protective Order in Fulton County Superior Court. Extremely jealous and controlling, the client's husband, from whom she is currently separated, has subjected her to years of abuse. The incident causing the client to seek protection from the court began when her husband/Respondent threw a rock through her window to gain entry after she refused to let him into her home. Having heard the disturbance and unaware of the danger lurking, their minor child let the Respondent into the home, at which time he and his younger sibling watched their father immediately attack and choke their mother. "Mommy, Daddy is trying to kill you" was their instant reaction. Still enraged, the Respondent punched and broke a closet door, then took the client's phone and broke it to prevent her from calling 911. The Respondent fled the scene before police arrived. However, justice was ultimately served as Tod Sawicki masterfully secured a 12 Month Protective Order by Consent on the client's behalf. Thanks to the hard work of Tod and his assistant, Heidi Sevilla, this client and her children are off to a fresh and peaceful start! 

  o  Shelia Manely, Georgia St. 3L, secured a consent TPO for her client, who'd been shot at by her abuser while captive in a car AND 8 months pregnant with his child.

o    AVLF volunteer attorneys Jonathan Fligg and Jennifer Collins, of Womble Carlyle, obtained a $900 settlement for a victim of an unscrupulous for-profit job training program. 

o   On May 25, AVLF Juvenile Court volunteer lawyers Elizabeth Whitworth, Suzanne Bertolette, Salina Winter, and Heidi Raschke celebrated the graduation of their child clients' mothers from the Fulton County Family Drug Court Program. The children's mothers completed drug treatment, maintained sobriety, obtained stable income and housing, and will now be ready and able to provide the safe and loving care that their children need. The children spent many months in foster care while their mothers worked diligently to overcome the conditions that caused the children's deprivation. 

 o   On Friday, May 20th, Tamara Serwer Caldas presented on the Policies and Politics of Limited Scope Representation at the Equal Justice Conference in Las Vegas, and Michael Lucas and Tamara presented Dollars for Judgments Program: Securing Justice for Clients Through Pro Bono Judgment Collection Partnerships. AVLF's Dollars for Judgments program is the first of its kind in the country, and we were especially proud to roll out this program to organizations across the country interested in developing a similar model for their constituents.

 o  After months of battling through the process, our very own Liz Whipple lead an 18-year old victim of stalking to victory in her petition for a Temporary Protective Order.  The Respondent in this case, also 18 years old, is the client's ex-boyfriend and known to abuse alcohol and drugs.  Under those influences, he  proved to be especially aggressive, violent and intimidating.  He showed up at the client's home uninvited and unannounced, and even let himself into the home after discovering that the garage door was left unlocked.  He slashed the client's tires.  He called and threatened to kill the client, her family and himself.  In his most recent display of obsessive behavior, the Respondent walked all the way from Alpharetta to the client's home in Canton with a knife in an effort to scare her.  The client called the police, at which time the Respondent flew into a rage, threatening to kill the police officer and kicking the police vehicle, causing over $2,000 worth of damage.  On May 16, 2011, Liz Whipple, together with John Marshall Law School student Ben Beasley,  serving as co-counsel under Liz's supervision per the Third Year Practice Act, was able to secure a 12-Month Protective Order by Consent on the client's behalf.  Great work, Liz and Ben!

o     AVLF volunteer attorney Jeremiah Handschuh, of Handschuh Law, LLC, stopped garnishment proceedings and secured a disability discharge of an AVLF client's student loan debt, saving the client over $3,000 desperately needed for her care. 

 

o    Volunteer David Kuklewicz, Alston & Bird, LLP, obtained a judgment for $683 to compensate an AVLF client for her increased utility costs resulting from her landlord's repeated refusal to repair her AC unit.

o    AVLF volunteer attorney W.J. Ziegler, of Arnall Golden Gregory, obtained - and successfully collected - a $4,000 judgment for a tenant who was forced to live with deplorable conditions by a landlord who refused to make any repairs. 

o    AVLF volunteer attorney Sean Fogarty, of Arnall Golden Gregory, negotiated a $600 reduction in the debt owed by a AVLF client, allowing the client to avoid imminent litigation and, possibly, the loss of his home.   

Save the Date for the 20th Annual Winetasting!

Thanks to our Funders!

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