Summer 2024 Newsletter

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Summer 2024 Newsletter

Dear friends,

From fresh faces in our halls and Zoom rooms, courtesy of a robust new class of summer interns, fellows, permanent hires, and new members of our Board of Directors, to ongoing strategic planning efforts, we’re enjoying a burst of energy and ideas from our growing community. We’re also celebrating a number of significant wins lately, from victories on behalf of individual clients – of which there many – to systemic case wins that will have positive impacts on thousands across the Commonwealth. For a 124-year-old organization, we’re pretty spry! Please read on for more details about these exciting developments. Thank you for being our partner in justice!

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Big Wins for Clients & Community

We're celebrating three major impact wins for clients and our community lately! You may have seen these in the news, as each of these cases has wide ranging implications. 

Disability & Elder Rights: Deb Filler and Luciana Figueiredo Miller, of GBLS' Elder, Health, & Disability Unit, fought hard on behalf of nursing home residents in the Bay State who ultimately won their right to live in their home communities. Co-counsel in the case Marsters v. Healey were Foley Hoag, the Center for Public Representation, and Justice in Aging. 

The settlement of the case means that the Commonwealth will move at least 2,400 people with disabilities who have been unwillingly isolated in nursing homes back into the community over the next eight years. Officials estimate they will spend $1 billion over that period on housing, counseling, and other services to help people leave nursing facilities and return to their home communities. Read more here and here and in this Boston Globe article

Tenants' Rights: Todd Kaplan of GBLS' Consumer Rights Unit, along with co-counsel from Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and the National Consumer Law Center, recently settled an important tenants' rights case, having received preliminary approval for the settlement from the court.

The pending settlement in the case Mary Louis and Monica Douglas, on behalf of themselves and similarly situated persons, and Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc. v. SafeRent Solutions LLC and Metropolitan Management Group LLC provides for significant injunctive relief to tenant applicants who rely on rental vouchers and may be subjected to SafeRent tenant screening. The settlement would require a more robust evaluation of prospective housing voucher tenants’ eligibility for housing based on their full record, rather than relying on a score derived though an algorithm. If SafeRent develops another tenant screening score it wishes to use after five years, it would have to be validated by an independent third-party organization agreed to by the Plaintiffs. This is the first case where the discriminatory aspects of tenant screening software have been raised and prevailed.  

Homeowners Rights: Attorney Todd Kaplan is also involved in a significant case surrounding tax lien foreclosures. Together with efforts by the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, Morgan Lewis, Greenberg Traurig, and Community Legal Aid, GBLS advocated for a homeowner's right to maintain equity in their home in the face of foreclosure and property re-sale out from underneath them to repay a municipal tax lien. 

The ruling from the Hampden Superior Court in Springfield found that a Massachusetts law permitting cities and towns to take homes or other real estate from tax delinquent owners – including their equity – is unconstitutional. The ruling echoes a similar conclusion from the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Read more about the case here and here.

We're celebrating these big wins - and the clients, advocates, and partners who worked together to achieve them - and are proud of the positive impact that they will have for thousands of individuals and families in the Commonwealth! 

GBLS’ 2024 Annual Meeting & Awardees

Photo collage featuring attendees of GBLS' 2024 Annual Meeting, including awards and audience members
  

Board, staff, supporters, Corporation, and community members of Greater Boston Legal Services gathered on June 11th for our Annual Meeting, held at WilmerHale. At the meeting, a slate of new members was appointed to the board of directors. New directors include Kianga AxellShaun BarnesMona Patel, and Mandy Petrillo.

The organization thanked board members stepping down from their board service, including Michael AltmanJohn Bowman, who devoted 40 years of service on the board; Martha MazzoneEd Weiss; and Melissa Tearney, who was honored with the President’s Award for her many contributions to GBLS over the years, including serving on numerous committees and shepherding the organization as Board President for four years. 

GBLS is grateful to all of the directors for their service in leading and sustaining the organization.

Also at the Annual Meeting, the following staff members and volunteers were recognized for their contributions to the provision of services to clients. 

Majda Abbas, Attorney in GBLS’ Elder, Health & Disability Unit, was recognized with the Reginald Heber Smith Award for building community within and outside GBLS, innovation and excellence in legal work, and for bringing a fresh perspective to GBLS’ legal advocacy as an advocate for justice with fewer than ten years of experience. 

Todd Kaplan, Senior Attorney in the Consumer Rights Unit, and Yahaira Ortiz, Administrative Assistant in the Admin Unit, were recipients of the Dow-Gardiner-Landrum Award, established in 1985 in memory of three board members who died:  Harry Dow, the first Asian attorney admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, who was extremely active on GBLS’ board and the boards of various community and social services agencies; Bob Gardiner, who was an attorney with significant involvement with community agencies, especially GBLS; and Lily Landrum, a community activist and long-time client-eligible member of GBLS’ board.  The board created the award to honor staff and board members who demonstrate the same long-term commitment to ensuring that poor people have access to justice as was apparent in the lives of these three board members.   

Simon Klein, a volunteer in the Employment Law and Welfare Law units, received the Richard W. “Archie” Southgate Volunteer Award, established in 1998 to honor “Archie” Southgate, former Managing Partner of Ropes & Gray, who upon retirement volunteered for three years as a staff attorney in GBLS’ Employment Law Unit and helped to establish the Senior Lawyer Volunteer Program.  This award is made annually to honor an outstanding volunteer at GBLS.  

Several staff members were also recognized for significant years of service to GBLS and our clients; they include Lisa Bradley (25 years), Maritza Gomez (25 years), Sarah Levy (25 years), Brenda Smith (25 years), Rita Cheresnowsky (35 years), Barbara Zimbel (35 years), Susan Hegel (40 years), and Martha Ramos (40 years).

Two additional colleagues were recognized in absentia for their long service to GBLS, having retired within the past year: Valenda Applegarth (35 years), and Elizabeth Whiteway (22 years). 

As always, GBLS’ Annual Meeting was an opportunity to celebrate successes on behalf of clients and our community, as well as the dedication and expertise of our staff and board. Thank you to everyone who attended.

GBLS Awarded MGH Community Health Impact Funds

Group photograph of grant recipients at Mass General's grant celebration
  

GBLS is pleased to announce that we have received Massachusetts General Hospital Community Health Impact Funds to support our work on housing stability.

This funding is part of $18 million in Community Health Impact Funds that has been awarded to 22 local organizations to support affordable housing initiatives in Boston and North Suffolk County.

"The housing crisis in our state and across the country is felt most acutely in historically marginalized communities," said Leslie Aldrich, MPH, Mass General Brigham’s Executive Director for Community Health. "The 22 proposals chosen reflect an equitable, multi-pronged approach to benefitting those most impacted by housing insecurity—unhoused populations, LGBTQ+, immigrants, domestic violence survivors, communities of color, and more."

GBLS is grateful for this funding and looking forward to putting it to work on our efforts to combat the housing crisis.

Removing Barriers to Care: AmeriCorps Advocate Takes on Healthcare Access 

Portrait of Americorps Fellow Caroline Sharis wearing a dark suit and white shirt
   

Caroline Sharis is a recent college graduate and an AmeriCorps advocate in GBLS’ Elder, Health, and Disability Unit, focused on connecting clients of all ages to the healthcare they need.  As she prepares to conclude her AmeriCorps year with GBLS, we chatted with her to learn more about her fellowship and what she’s done over the past year.

GBLS: What is your role and work at GBLS? 

Caroline Sharis: I am currently serving as an AmeriCorps in the Elder, Health, and Disability Unit. My work primarily focuses on health access issues, including reversing wrongful MassHealth (Medicaid in Massachusetts) terminations, upgrading coverage, and resolving other health insurance related issues.  

GBLS: How long have you been at GBLS, and what brought you here?  

CS: As I was preparing to graduate college in May 2023, I knew that I wanted to spend time before law school advancing health care access. My previous experience included work at nonprofits focused on strengthening community support and opportunities for families and children.  I hoped to find a client-centered role within the legal field. The position at GBLS was the perfect opportunity, and I began in September 2023.  

GBLS: How does your work affect the lives of your clients? 

CS: Much of my work centers on helping clients navigate MassHealth and community health care systems. This can involve helping clients obtain coverage that will allow them to finally see doctors or dentists, retroactively resolving medical bills that have burdened families, or ensuring pregnant women have access to prenatal and postpartum support. The need for health care is felt across all ages, and removing barriers to care can be life changing.  

GBLS: What challenges do you face in serving your clients? 

CS: One aspect of my work involves assisting individuals who receive benefits from both MassHealth and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). There are certain complexities of this dual eligibility that can make solving problems challenging. I help clients navigate between the two agencies. My individual client work also helps with advocacy on a larger scale. I track trends and identify gaps in the implementation of agency policies that negatively impact our clients--and individuals across the state. Together with other advocates, both within GBLS and at other organizations, we have pushed for these problems to be remedied.  

GBLS: What about GBLS' work or mission resonates with you?  

CS: The saying “the people make the place” could not be a better fit to describe GBLS. Advocates create a space of encouragement and passion, and it is within this environment of support that I have learned so much. I have witnessed colleagues readily tackle challenging twists, come up with innovative solutions, and go above and beyond for their clients—all the while carrying a tremendous amount of compassion. I have also had wonderful, knowledgeable supervisors who have supported my growth as an advocate. I am inspired every day by those around me.  

GBLS: Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing for fun? 

CS: One of my favorite things to do is sit outside with a good book and some coffee. I also enjoy being creative, and I am currently into watercolor painting. Doing activities with friends and family always fills my cup-- whether it is hiking, rowing on the river, or walking with my family dogs when I am back in my hometown in Iowa!

We thank Caroline and wish her the best of luck as she concludes her AmeriCorps service with GBLS this summer!

Fighting for Workers through Equal Justice Works

Equal Justice Works Fellow Claudia Torres Patino poses in a gray suit and blue blouse in front of a green lawn
  

Claudia Torres Patino is an Equal Justice Works Fellow with an interest in human behavior, which proves useful in her line of work. Originally from Mexico, Claudia came to Massachusetts to pursue a doctoral degree at Harvard Law. We sat down with Claudia to learn more about her, her fellowship, and what inspires her. 

GBLS: What is your role and work at GBLS?  

Claudia Torres Patino: I am an Equal Justice Works Fellow in GBLS’ Employment Law Unit. My role involves assisting victims of labor-based crimes, including wage theft, sexual assault, and labor trafficking. I help them with the civil side of their cases, as well as the immigration aspects. There are a few immigration relief options available for those who start, participate in, or sometimes are just connected to a labor investigation against an employer. 

GBLS: How long have you been at GBLS, and what brought you here?  

CTP: For years, I envisioned myself as a law professor in Mexico, teaching Law and Society or a blend of legal studies and social sciences, particularly anthropology. For my SJD dissertation (the equivalent of a PhD), I conducted fieldwork in Mexico City among women involved in commercial sex. Returning from Mexico to find myself in a very fancy but isolated university office was shocking. I wondered if that was the life I wanted. Reflecting on what had brought me the most joy during my doctoral program, I realized that working with communities, talking to them, and standing by their side was essential for me. Books and discussions that exclude the people directly involved in the 'problem' and who know it firsthand feel tasteless and contradict my ideals of equality and justice. I started at GBLS in September 2023, and I am happy I joined an organization where so many other people feel the same way.  

GBLS: How does your work affect the lives of your clients?  

CTP: Many of my clients are grateful to have recovered money that their employers had refused to give them or that compensates, even if only partially, for past suffering. The money makes a substantial difference for them. I have also helped them process immigration relief, mostly in the form of deferred action, and obtain work authorization. Most of my clients get super excited about this, even though being part of the formal economy is costly. But above all, I think my clients feel heard and not alone, and they appreciate that. Many of my clients have called me a friend, and all I've done for them is listen attentively and talk to them in a language they understand and feel comfortable using to express their hearts. It’s less burdensome to navigate the various systems in the U.S. (welfare, legal, etc.) when you can express yourself in your native language.  

GBLS: What should people understand about the work you do?   

CTP: My fellowship is part of a program called the Equal Justice Works Crime Victims' Advocacy Program. During our training, we discussed the protections available to witnesses in criminal proceedings and their rights as participants, such as reparations, the right to appear as a victim and receive counsel, the right to confer, etc. It has been shocking to see that for the crime victims I serve, these protections often don't exist, even in written policy. This means our clients are frequently excluded from discussions that affect them, adding to the trauma they already faced as witnesses. Recognizing that victims of financial crimes are also crime victims is crucial. We live in an age where work is integral to our identities, so what’s at stake is much more than just money.  

GBLS: What about GBLS' work or mission resonates with you?  

CTP: Our mission is to provide legal services to low-income populations. I believe GBLS chose these communities because, through our work, we engage in the process of redistributing resources—both money and expertise—from those who have more to those who have less. I am committed to participating in this process of making the world a little more equal and fairer.  The phrase 'meet people where they are,' which I've heard often at GBLS, encapsulates that aspect of our mission. This approach also involves taking the time and effort to build relationships with people, bridging cultural, language, physical, or social gaps that may exist between us and our clients. Then and only then can we effectively mobilize resources and contribute to a more egalitarian world. 

GBLS: Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing for fun?  

CTP: Right now, I'm focused on studying for the bar exam, so many of my favorite activities are on hold. However, I'm passionate about weightlifting and dancing. I also find joy in watching flamenco and ballet shows. Another favorite pastime is letting my boyfriend treat me to delicious food. I enjoy watching movies and anime, and I absolutely love engaging in long conversations and forming hypotheses about why characters behave the way they do.

Thank you, Claudia, for your work with and on behalf of GBLS’ clients!

Novel Project Winds Down, Having Helped 45 Afghan Refugees to Resettle in the US

For the past two years, GBLS’ immigration team has conducted work through the Afghan Refugee Project (ARP). Led by attorneys Alec Larson and Aly Madan, the project, which is winding down, represented a novel area of work focused solely on meeting the needs of individuals and families who fled Afghanistan because of recent turmoil in that country.

Along with partner organizations PAIR and Metrowest Legal Services, GBLS’ Afghan Refugee Project took referrals from local refugee resettlement agencies in direct response to the largest evacuation since the Vietnam War (nearly 90,000 Afghans have arrived in the US since 2021). Advocates pursued permanent immigration status in the US for new arrivals through a variety of methods, including asylum-based green cards, family petitions, temporary protected status, and special immigrant visas for Afghans who worked closely with the US government during its occupation. 

As the Afghan Refugee Project concludes, attorneys Larson and Madan agree that the project has been highly successful–every client who has received a final decision was granted asylum and has a clear pathway to pursue citizenship and family reunification with their advocates’ support. It’s a remarkable set of victories for a particularly vulnerable client population. The project attorneys hope that GBLS will be able to leverage the success of this project to promote further advocacy with and on behalf of clients directly impacted by US foreign policy, observing that many people who come here as refugees do so as the result of the rippling impacts of American economic and military actions abroad. 

Larson and Madan, who will continue working in the Immigration Unit on a broader spectrum of cases, hope that future immigration work will be able to make even deeper inroads into refugee communities, to mirror the Afghan Refugee Project's success.

Congratulations, Aly and Alec, on a job well done!

GBLS Honors Boston Legal Community Members 

Attendees of the GBLS' Legal Community Thank You event pose on a balcony overlooking Post Office Square
  

On May 21st, Greater Boston Legal Services hosted a breakfast at Sullivan & Worcester to celebrate the law firms, corporate legal departments, and individual members of the Greater Boston legal community who have demonstrated outstanding support for civil legal aid this past year. Awardees were honored for their contributions to GBLS and our community, whether through financial support, organizational partnership, pro bono services, volunteerism, or personal or community leadership.

The 2024 awardees are:  

  • Cloherty & Steinberg – Emerging Leader Award 
  • Kirkland & Ellis – All-Around Leader Award 
  • Ropes & Gray – Torchbearer Award 
  • Goulston & Storrs – President’s Award 
  • State Street – Partner in Justice Award 
  • Floyd Advisory & Rob Lashway – Partner in Justice Award  
  • Emily Sy, Takeda – Champion of Justice Award 
  • Lawrence Heffernan, Robinson & Cole – Champion of Justice Award 

GBLS was founded by members of the private bar, and we continue to thrive thanks to, in large part, the generosity and support of our local legal community. Kudos to our awardees and thank you to all who help to advance GBLS’ mission to provide free civil legal assistance to those who need it most in the Boston area!

GBLS in the News

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Greater Boston Legal Services provides free legal assistance in civil matters to low-income families and individuals in the Greater Boston area, helping people access the basic necessities of life, including shelter, healthcare, and safety from abuse.

Please consider making a gift to GBLS to help make "justice for all" a reality for our most vulnerable neighbors. Thank you for supporting civil legal aid!