By: Inaya Raja, Wellesley College ‘27, Legal Intern, Safety Net Project Massachusetts offers robust electric and gas utility shut-off protections to vulnerable populations. These communities include consumers who are seriously ill or experiencing financial hardship, and households with either infants or people 65 years of age […]
Utility Shut-Off Protections and the Fight for Access Read More »
By: Bianca Umaña-Taylor, Legal Intern, Safety Net Project & CORI Sealing I had absolutely no idea what was in store for myself or the other Safety Net Project interns, beyond a free t-shirt, when we
Offering a Clean Slate Read More »
By: Kate Vavara In early August my second summer at the Legal Services Center as an undergraduate intern within the Safety Net Project, assisting with casework relating to criminal record sealing and appeals for Social
Legal Advocacy as an Undergraduate, Kate Vavra’s Experience in the Safety Net Project Read More »
By Elaine McArdle LSC alumna Michelle Lerner ’98 has published a novel, Ring, to excellent reviews. Described as “touching and thought-provoking” by Kirkus Reviews, Ring received a rare starred review from Booklist. Library Journal calls
LSC Alumna Publishes First Novel to Rave Reviews Read More »
For the past several years the Legal Services Center has noticed concerning practices by the companies contracting with medical facilities to provide medical records that appear to be in violation of Massachusetts’ patients’ rights laws.
Douglas Griswold ’25 on Taking Action to Enforce Protections Already in the Law Read More »
By Harvard Law School Student Sam Holloway ’24 The Legal Services Center’s Safety Net Project helps clients with the “social safety net,” but it does a lot more than that, too. Among the Veteran’s Legal
LSC Students Reflect on the Value of an Advanced Clinical In November 2023, a little over two months into her advanced clinical semester with the Legal Services Center’s (LSC’s) Consumer Protection Clinic, Annika Reno ’24
By Harvard Law School Student Alex Zhang ‘24 The last time I said goodbye to Ted*, he was upright in his hospital bed, swaddled in his blue hospital gown with a wide smile. As I
Knowledge Comes in Many Forms: Alex Zhang’24 “Learns about Life” from Client in Hospice Read More »
Seal or Clear Your Massachusetts Criminal Record! As many as 1 in 3 adults in the US have a criminal record, experiencing stigma and disadvantage as a result With a criminal record, ordinary essentials such as
Seal or Clear Your Massachusetts Criminal Record! As many as 1 in 3 adults in the US have a criminal record, experiencing stigma and disadvantage as a result With a criminal record, ordinary essentials such as
New Workshop Series: Seal Your Criminal Record Read More »
The American Bar Association (ABA) recently released a video highlighting how law students can get involved in pro bono work, using the efforts of Jeff Jiang ’22 and other law students on a wide-ranging benefits
From the Boston Bar Association: The Mass and Cass humanitarian crisis, and, more generally, the crisis of homelessness in Greater Boston, has attracted wide media and public attention. This panel discussion, which brings together experts
By Jeffrey Jiang ’22 The story of Eric Conn is a years-long saga involving a scam artist who extracted over half a billion dollars from the U.S. government, an administrative law judge (ALJ) who covered
This interview appeared in the Brown Political Review. Julie McCormack is a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, co-teaching “The Poverty Law Workshop – a toolkit for addressing inequity and homelessness” and “The Veterans
By mid-semester, the 14 Harvard Law students enrolled in the Veterans Law & Disability Benefits Clinic at the Legal Services Center in Jamaica Plain (LSC) are hard at work managing their busy dockets. From drafting
Snapshots from a Week in the Veterans Law & Disability Benefits Clinic Read More »
In addition to its work with veterans, LSC’s Safety Net Project is building a unique collaboration with the Boston Public Library (BPL) to help individuals from all walks of life obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Kate Strickland and Rachel Schwarz, Harvard Law students in LSC’s Safety Net Project, submitted testimony last week on two bills under consideration by the Massachusetts Legislature that would provide support to college students who are
Drawing on careers spent representing clients accessing safety net benefits, LSC Clinical Instructors and Lecturers-on-Law Julie McCormack and Betsy Gwin have created a new seminar at Harvard Law School, the Poverty Law Workshop. Responding to
LSC Creates New Poverty Law Workshop, Training Law Students on Safety Net Programs Read More »
By Andrew Steinberg, LSC Safety Net Project Summer Intern; Brown University ’22 This piece was also published in the Dorchester Reporter on July 21. Should we punish people for crimes that no longer exist? This
Unsealing Opportunity: The Need for CORI Sealing Services Read More »
By Joseph Mottola ’23, St. John’s University School of Law; LSC Summer 2021 Law Student Intern A significant percentage of American college students are hungry and don’t know where tomorrow’s meals will come from –
Why Are So Many College Students Going Hungry? Read More »
On Tuesday, July 15 at 1 pm, LSC’s Safety Net Project will host a Zoom info session about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. This financial empowerment session, hosted in partnership with the Kirstein
Join Us July for an Online Info Session about SNAP Read More »
The Harvard Gazette recently highlighted the work of Harvard students who have contributed their time and energy to giving back to the Greater Boston community. Below, recent Harvard Law graduate Daniel Polonsky, who was a
Giving Back to the Greater Boston Community Read More »
From Harvard Law Today: Linda Heeyoung Park ’21 and Benjamin Antillon Fernandez ’21 are joint recipients of the 2021 David Grossman Exemplary Clinical Student Award. They were chosen this year from a wide range of
In the fall of 1982, 20-year-old Belle* did what many of us with significant others do routinely and casually: she borrowed her then-partner’s car to run some errands. She couldn’t have known then the impact
Legal Assistance and Law Reform Help Right a Decades-Old Wrong Read More »
Get legal help at our virtual office hours, offered on a weekly basis. Staff at the Legal Services Center at Harvard Law School will provide advice and referral information to patrons about civil legal issues
LSC to Host Weekly Drop-In Hours with Boston Public Library Read More »
Marcus Miller is a 2L student at Harvard Law School. He is a clinical student in the Veterans Law and Disability Clinic, working in the Safety Net Project during the Fall 2020 semester. By Marcus
Creating a More Just Legal System, One Client at a Time Read More »
The attorneys and student advocates at the Legal Services Center continue to work tirelessly for our clients as they face unprecedented challenges and financial distress. Below is a brief update on just some of our
LSC Clinics Work Creatively to Assist Client Communities Affected by COVID-19 Read More »
Safety Net Project Director Julie McCormack and the students working with her on criminal record sealing (a mostly administrative process before the Massachusetts Probation Service) have taken advantage of the enforced slow-down brought about by
The three victories result in more than $137,000 in back payments plus significant ongoing monthly benefits moving forward; fourth case decision pending; others in pipeline In the two short weeks of March before LSC moved
By Alexander Cottingham ’20 Working on this case for my client, JC, was by far the most impactful experience in my time at HLS. It is an odd coincidence that at the same time as
As Graduation Approaches, an LSC Student Reflects on an Important Victory for his Client Read More »
The Legal Services Center’s staff and students hope you are staying safe and healthy. We are all doing the best we can as we take on new challenges in advocating for client communities made ever
LSC Responds to COVID-19: An Update from Our Clinics Read More »
Linda Heeyoung Park, JD ‘21, a student in LSC’s Safety Net Project, shares the story of her client, Jay, a veteran who came to LSC for help protecting his disability benefits. Jay loved his job
Fighting For A Veteran Facing the Invisible Wounds of War Read More »
This piece, by disability rights advocate and LSC Alum Haben Girma, was published by the Washington Post on August 7, 2019. Girma is the author of Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. My guide
Written by: Ellie Schelleng It may be no exaggeration to say we are experiencing a suicide epidemic. Suicide is increasing at an alarming rate and, as a result, we are living in a time of
LSC Hosts Samaritans Inc. for Presentation on Suicide Prevention Read More »
The Legal Services Center strives to place the voices of Boston’s communities at the heart of its practice. While Julie McCormack, Director of the Safety Net Project, facilitated People’s Law School community workshops around the
Picture this: you make the decision to go to college. To afford it, you take out hefty student loans. You work hard, push through, and complete your degree. With even more hard work, you are
A Legal Safety Net at the Library Read More »
Steven Kerns, 2L at Harvard Law School As a veteran, I came to Harvard Law School’s Safety Net Project within the Veteran’s Legal Clinic to help bridge the civilian- military divide. SNP offered me a
Ensuring Veterans Aren’t Left Behind Read More »
Haben Girma, a Harvard Law School alum and alum of LSC’s Disability Litigation Unit (now the Safety Net Project) , is featured on the cover of the September issue of the American Bar Association Journal for
LSC Alum Leading the Way for People with Disabilities Read More »
In a recent post on the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs’ Blog, students Emily Seelenfreund, J.D. ’17 and Myra Siddiqui, J.D. ’17, discuss their experiences working in the Disability Litigation and Advocacy Clinic coordinated by Senior Clinical
LSC Students Present Oral Argument in Federal District Court Read More »
On Monday, November 9, 2015, the Legal Services Center opened its doors to veterans from our community to serve dinner and provide a series of legal workshops on a range of topics relevant to veterans.
Clinic Students Present Legal Workshops for Veterans Read More »
