Community Legal Services

Now Hiring: Public Interest Attorney position with the flexibility to work partially remote and part-time!                                        Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) is seeking a highly driven attorney to help support and advance exceptional legal representation for low-income Philadelphians. This new position of Legal Compliance Attorney will work closely with the Deputy Director of Legal Practice and focus on ensuring CLS practices and procedures support all advocates in meeting obligations to clients and meeting other compliance requirements. This role is important because it allows us to grow and evolve to support the emerging needs of our clients. As we innovate and find creative solutions to the legal problems our clients face, the person in this role will provide vital assistance to ensure we continue to provide effective legal services of the highest quality. The Legal Compliance Attorney will assist in the following types of projects: developing systems for certain practice, ethics, and compliance topics; presenting related trainings, resolving ethics questions; reviewing and managing potential professional liability issues; developing standards for and reviewing certain categories of minor and contracts that CLS has with consultants, researchers and occasionally vendors etc. This position will have the flexibility to be partially remote and could be part-time. Ideal candidates are licensed in PA, have an interest in supporting legal services work, and possess strong legal research, writing, problem-solving and communication skills. https://lnkd.in/ewfCJeFS

I am proud to support the great work of Community Legal Services as a member of the Executive Committee of the Justice Rising Advocates. If you are interested in learning more about JRA, and the opportunities for young lawyers to get involved, please let me know.

It’s hard to comprehend how much GOOD one person can do and it’s damn near impossible to describe how important Debby Freedman is to the city of Philadelphia. Many congratulations!❤️

We are incredibly proud that our Executive Director, Debby Freedman, is the 2024 Bending the Arc Award recipient! This prestigious honor is given annually by the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Public Interest Section. The Bending the Arc Award recognizes achievement, resilience, and courage. Debby’s work over her long career, especially as Executive Director since 2015, demonstrates these elements and more.   Since Debby began her CLS career in 1992, she has been respected and loved by clients and colleagues for her compassion and steadfast commitment to CLS’s important work, which has been remarkable in its impact for low-income families, not just in Philadelphia but across the country. Under Debby's tenure as Executive Director, CLS has been instrumental in creating and expanding several property tax relief programs, implementing the City’s right to counsel law for tenants, developing and maintaining Philadelphia’s groundbreaking eviction diversion program, bringing over $700 million in COVID emergency SNAP benefits to Pennsylvanians, and creating Pennsylvania's Clean Slate program, which has sealed more than 45 million old and minor criminal records. These incredible victories were the result of many CLS advocates and partners who worked tirelessly to fight for justice under Debby's remarkable leadership. Most importantly, in addition to being a spectacular leader, Debby is a wonderful and caring human being. She is humble, friendly, honest, and generous and beloved by all. These attributes have carried over into the public interest community where she is a model, advisor, and mentor for the many new public interest leaders, whom she sees as colleagues and collaborators. Congratulations, Debby! Image description: Debby Freedman’s headshot

📢 Family Court Review – October 2024 Issue Now Available! Family Court Review Volume 62, Issue 4 has just been released! This is a special issue on the American Bar Association Youth at Risk Conference, offering critical insights on juvenile justice, family law, and systemic change. 📚 AFCC members can dive into the full articles by visiting the Family Court Review in the AFCC Member Center https://lnkd.in/gBK87555. Barbara Babb, Marsha Kline Pruett, Charisa Kiyô Smith, Sarah Katz, April Lee, Vera Lopez, Kayla Marie Martensen, Michelle A. D., Brenda Robinson, Ernestine Gray, Isel Ramirez, Kara Finck, Ann Haralambie Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, University of Baltimore School of Law, Smith College School for Social Work, Community Legal Services, City University of New York School of Law, Arizona State University, The University of New Mexico, Justice + Joy National Collaborative, Harvard Law School, Children's Law Center of California, Southwestern Law School, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Not a member yet? Join AFCC today to unlock access to Family Court Review and other exclusive benefits, including event discounts and webinar archives. #FamilyCourtReview #JuvenileJustice #FamilyLaw #LegalReform #AFCC #YouthAtRisk

Last week we celebrated our Justice Rising Advocates at our Fall Refresh! It was a fun evening of reconnecting with each other as well as welcoming new people, as we thanked outgoing and welcomed new volunteers. As always, we are incredibly grateful for the Justice Rising Advocates and Executive Committee for everything they do to support CLS. Thanks to Rachel Gallegos, Divisional Supervising Attorney in our Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit, for speaking about the work she and her team do around tangled titles and wills. And a very special thank you to Berger Montague for hosting us! Image descriptions: Image 1: The Justice Rising Advocates Executive Committee pose for a photo with CLS Staff Liaisons and Executive Director Debby Freedman. L-R: Deanna Galer, Zachary Winkler, Martha Hanna, William H. Fedullo, Cameron Redfern, Julian Layton, Lanique Roberts, Thomas J. Miller, Julia McGrath, Gregory S. Bergman, Mark Suter, Debby Freedman Image 2: The Justice Rising Advocates Executive Committee and CLS Staff Liaisons in a “hands-in” pose. Image 3: CLS Executive Director with 3 CLS Board Members L-R: Debby Freedman, Caitlin G. Coslett, Patrina Anderson, Joseph Traub Image 4: CLS staff members pose for a photo. L-R: Rachel Gallegos, Kadeem Morris, David W. Huang, Caitlin Nagel Image 5: Rachel Gallegos speaking in front of a slideshow describing CLS’s mission.

Got to share a great night at Philadelphia Speakers Series with Community Legal Services Board member Carlton Johnson & Leadership Council member Jennifer Coatsworth.

Congratulations to 2024 Bending the Arc Award winner, Debby Freedman 🎉 Debby's leadership at Community Legal Services and within the larger public interest community of Philadelphia has been truly exemplary. As was written in Debby's nomination letter, "[t]he Bending the Arc Award recognizes achievement, resilience, and courage. We believe that Debby’s work over her long career, but more particularly in recent years, demonstrates these three elements and more."

Thrilled to have Ben Clark at Community Legal Services. Thank you Equal Justice Works!

CLS is excited to welcome Ben Clark as our Equal Justice Works fellow in the Energy Unit! Ben was born and raised in Atlanta and worked in community organizing and state politics in Georgia and Arizona before law school. He first learned about CLS while organizing against utility shutoffs in Georgia—he says CLS’s advocacy was a model for their work. With an educational background in energy policy, Ben’s fellowship will focus on improving access to home repairs programs and expanding climate-safe housing in Philadelphia. “Energy and utilities are life-essential services. Everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home. As climate change impacts neighborhoods across Philadelphia, it’s critical that folks have access to all of the above.” Racial justice is central to his project, which recognizes that housing conditions experienced by low-income Philadelphians are the result of racially driven disinvestment, which causes disproportionately higher energy and utility costs for low-income communities of color. “It’s an honor to work alongside community organizations to help folks make home repairs, addressing the root causes of housing insecurity and high utility bills, while also advancing climate-resilient housing in our city.” In Philadelphia, the median energy burden—the portion of household income spent on utility bills—is nearly double the national average, due largely to aging and energy-inefficient housing. Ben looks forward to combating this issue to ensure families across the city can afford to keep their utilities on. “Energy poverty—when households are burdened by high utility bills and face utility shutoffs—locks tens of thousands of families in Philadelphia in economic and environmental insecurity. CLS, through its Energy and Utilities Unit, fills that gap by tackling it head on. Its track record of delivering results for individual clients, holding utilities accountable, and advancing energy justice policies at the local and state levels sets CLS apart. Within my first week I could already tell how special this place and its people are.” Image description: “New Staff Spotlight” graphic featuring a photo of Ben over a light blue and green colorblock background. Text under the photo reads “Ben Clark, Equal Justice Works Fellow.” Text next to the photo reads: “What do you find meaningful about your work at CLS?” below the question is his answer: “Energy and utilities are life-essential services. Everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home. It’s an honor to work alongside community organizations to help folks make home repairs, addressing the root causes of housing insecurity and high utility bills, while also advancing climate-resilient housing in our city.”