In a world where access to justice often hinges on financial means, public service and pro bono legal work stand as pillars of equity. This summer, the participants in our Martin Luther King Jr. Internship Program found that this work can be both challenging and profoundly rewarding. One of our interns, William Scott, brought a unique perspective to his time with us by applying some of his knowledge from his experience in the United States Army to Legal Aid of North Carolina.

Scott graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2017 and proceeded to serve in the U.S. Army for six years, concluding his service as a Military Intelligence Officer for the 101st Airborne Division. Currently, he studies as a law student and JD candidate at the Wake Forest University School of Law.

A previous volunteer, Scott excelled as one of Legal Aid NC’s Martin Luther King Jr. interns, joining us to continue pursuing his passion for public service. Scott explained his decision to intern here this summer, “I applied for a LANC summer internship because of how fulfilling it was to volunteer with LANC throughout my first year of law school. I am grateful for the opportunity to directly serve those in need.”

Scott worked closely with the Veterans Law Project team to provide civil legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness. He explained why this work was important to him on a personal and developmental level, “Working with homeless veterans through LANC’s Veterans Law Project was especially impactful because I am a veteran. One client in particular is hard of hearing and needed extensive support to apply for personal identification forms. Learning how best to serve a client who was afraid and at times difficult to communicate with helped me develop compassion and patience.”

When comparing the work we do at Legal Aid NC to his experience in the U.S. Army, Scott said, “The U.S. Army & LANC are both people-oriented organizations where leaders are expected to know how to handle difficult situations with grace. Serving in the Army helped me develop authentic emotional engagement, planning skills, and time management techniques I used while working for Legal Aid. Since serving in the military, I have become more acutely attuned to how best to serve individual people in the context that’s most helpful to them. Some solutions in the military are ‘one size fits all,’ which is an approach I could not use while serving Legal Aid because of how specific clients’ needs are.”

Legal Aid NC would like to thank Scott for all his hard work this summer and for his service in our nation’s military. We look forward to seeing his career in law and public service take off, and know he will excel at promoting equity in our community.

BOONE, NC – Recently, 30 tenants of the Watauga Green Apartments were surprised with a sudden notice of eviction citing that they failed to submit their recertification paperwork. However, a majority of the tenants involved had already completed and submitted their paperwork within the last three months of the notice.

Legal Aid of North Carolina was contacted and began work on litigation, challenging whether summary ejectment was proper when the alleged breach of lease was due to mismanagement on the part of the landlord. The primary objective of the litigation was focused to prevent the evictions and preserve public housing eligibility for applicable tenants.

Kyle Coffino, a Legal Aid of NC staff attorney working on this litigation, gives us a look into how the litigation process works in relation to this event, “For summary ejectment cases, landlords must utilize the court process. A landlord cannot evict a tenant without filing a complaint in small claims court and cannot physically remove a tenant from the property without an order from a magistrate. However, if a magistrate enters an order siding with the landlord, there is a ten-day period from the date of judgment that a tenant can appeal the ruling to district court. If a tenant appeals, a new trial is held with the outcome decided by a district court judge.”

Legal Aid of NC has helped to advocate for several of the tenants, many of whom live on a limited income. In the most recent update, Coffino has reported that the cases that Legal Aid of NC assisted on have all been dismissed. As the litigation progresses, Legal Aid of NC hopes to protect the tenancy of those facing eviction at Watauga Green, preserve eligibility for housing assistance, and provide crucial support and advocacy to others in the High Country area facing civil legal issues.

Our team is always willing and prepared to step in and assist North Carolina’s most vulnerable population. We believe that these people are seen through our involvement and we hope to continue strengthening this relationship with our communities.

Coffino reflects, “In the nearly seven months I have been working for LANC, the tenants we helped from Watauga Green Apartments are especially noteworthy. Our office learned of a potential injustice and mobilized to provide assistance to as many as we could in a short period of time. I think these kinds of cases really demonstrate the commitment that our local office has in showing up for the communities we serve, however and whenever we can.”

For those facing similar challenges, we encourage you to reach out to Legal Aid of NC. We can advise you on how to prepare for small claims court, and in some cases provide representation on appeal, among other means of support.