Category: Media release

Category: Media release

The new issue of our pro bono newsletter is hot off the presses! Learn about all the innovative and impactful ways we partner with the private bar to provide access to justice for North Carolinians in need.

Table of contents

  • Give the gift of justice this holiday season
  • Let’s celebrate!
    • Our partners
    • Our volunteers
  • Now hiring: Join our Pro Bono team!
  • Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership
    • Sign up for courthouse clinics on 12/16, 12/19
    • Housing volunteers serve Helene survivors
  • Program Spotlight: Disaster Legal Services
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Kate L. Eaton, Bridges EXP
  • Pro Bono Go
    • Housing conditions advice (attorneys only)
    • Brief advice in rural DV Protective Order cases
    • Grandparent guardians seek custody of grandchildren
    • Advise community garden on nonprofit governance
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Past issues

Category: Media release

The new issue of our pro bono newsletter is hot off the presses! Learn about all the innovative and impactful ways we partner with the private bar to provide access to justice for North Carolinians in need.

Items in this issue include:

  • Meet our 2024 Pro Bono Hero Award winners!
  • Join our Pro Bono Programs team!
  • Tropical Storm Helene update
  • Meet our local pro bono coordinators!
  • Drink Legalade!
  • CLE Calendar: Serving those affected by Tropical Storm Helene
  • Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership: Thank you, Lawyer on the Line volunteers!
  • Program Spotlight: Pro bono for nonprofits
  • Volunteer Spotlights
    • Bárbara Herrera, Morrisville
    • Diana Santos Johnson, Waldrep Wall, Winston-Salem
  • Pro Bono Go
    • Housing conditions advice (attorneys only)
    • Brief advice in rural DV Protective Order cases
    • Grandparent guardians seek custody of grandchildren
    • Advise community garden on nonprofit governance
Read Newsletter

Sign up

Past issues

Category: Media release

Much of our pro bono activities are run by our central Pro Bono Programs team, which is based in our Raleigh headquarters, but four of our field offices have staff members who manage pro bono in their offices’ service areas. Keep reading to learn more about them!

Sharon C. Council – Durham Office

Office service area: Caswell, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties

Sharon has served as the pro bono coordinator in our Durham office for over 30 years. She has led numerous successful local projects to recruit attorneys, such as the Count-Me-In Pro Bono effort, where 50 cases were referred to the Durham Bar over four months in 2011. She has partnered with Womble Bond Dickinson, Moore & Van Allen, GSK and other large organizations to refer housing and expunction cases, and she has long-running pro bono partnerships with the law schools at Duke, NC Central and UNC. She personally coordinates the pro bono efforts of NC Central’s Elder Law Clinic, which provides wills and advanced directives to Durham seniors. In 2018, Sharon received the NC Equal Justice Alliance’s John Lea Award, which honors staff of legal aid groups who demonstrate dedication to their organization’s mission, make outstanding contributions, and show exceptional involvement in the low-income community.

Renee Gabriel-Morrison – Greensboro Office

Office service area: Davidson, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham and Rowan counties

Soon after joining us in 1999 as a paralegal in our Greensboro office, Renee’s many talents earned her a promotion to pro bono coordinator, in which role she has become the face of pro bono in the office’s service area. An innovator, Renee has recruited criminal law attorneys to handle expunctions and has been active with Thrive GSO a city-sponsored reentry program in Greensboro. She has gained enough expunction expertise to allow her to draft petitions for our staff and volunteer attorneys. Since its inception, she has coordinated the office’s award-winning Randolph County domestic violence program, which involves a rotating group of four attorneys who represent domestic violence survivors in court. Renee brings experience and excellence to her job and has helped maintain relationships with local bars that have long-lasting positive effects for our clients.

Claudette Harvey – Gastonia Office

Office service area: Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties

Claudette wears many caps in the Gastonia office: receptionist, paralegal, office manager and all-around support person. On top of all that, she manages to find time to serve as the office’s pro bono coordinator! Claudette has a heart of gold and goes above and beyond to find pro bono volunteers for clients. She’s helped facilitate representation for clients who need wills, estate work, expungements and various consumer matters. Perhaps her most impressive work is with a small but mighty group of volunteer attorneys who tackle cases in one of our most challenging practice areas: child custody. Thanks to Claudette’s efforts over the years, numerous adult survivors of domestic violence, as well as children who have lived through abuse and neglect, have now found a sense of safety and stability in their lives.

Teresa Poor – Smoky Mountain Offices

Office service area: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, and the Territory of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Teresa Poor has been Pro Bono coordinator at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Smoky Mountain Offices for more than a decade. In addition to numerous other duties with the office, she has cultivated relationships with the private bar and facilitated pro bono or affordable representation in numerous cases. Teresa has been particularly effective in referrals of social security and bankruptcy matters but has done an excellent job in other areas as well. In one notable recent example, Teresa arranged for pro bono divorce and equitable distribution representation for a survivor who had been shot multiple times at her workplace by her abuser. Teresa has also worked tirelessly in making sure clinics with the UNC Law pro bono program run smoothly.

Category: Media release

(Charlotte, North Carolina) Alliance Health highlights a groundbreaking pilot program in collaboration with Legal Aid of North Carolina to provide comprehensive legal assistance to Transition to Community Living (TCL) members facing barriers to permanent supportive housing.

TLC supports eligible North Carolina adults living with mental health disorders, substance use disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities, or traumatic brain injuries who choose to live outside institutional care settings. It combines affordable housing with intensive coordinated services, including case management, peer support, and community integration support, to help program participants live and thrive in their communities.

The Alliance-Legal Aid partnership leverages the strengths of both organizations to offer a holistic approach to housing stability and legal advocacy for this vulnerable population, including:

  • Legal representation for eviction proceedings
  • Advocacy against housing discrimination
  • Removal of barriers to housing
  • Compliance with NC fair housing and landlord tenant laws

“We are thrilled to partner with Legal Aid of North Carolina on this important initiative,” said Stephanie Jackson, Alliance Health Assistant General Counsel.  “This program represents a significant step towards addressing housing, one of the most important social drivers of health that impact our health plan members’ well-being.  By providing legal assistance and advocating for their rights, we are helping ensure that our members have access to safe, stable housing, which is essential for their overall health and recovery.”

“I am so excited that we have the opportunity to partner with Alliance Health,” said Larissa Mañón Mervin, regional managing attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Charlotte Metro region. “This program is just one of the many ways our office fights to ensure access to justice for our most vulnerable populations. As we know, access to safe and stable housing is one of the most significant social drivers of health. Our Charlotte Housing team works tirelessly to provide legal representation to eligible clients facing eviction proceedings, habitability concerns, housing discrimination, and other barriers to housing. We’re committed to doing the same with Alliance Health’s health plan members and are honored to have the opportunity to positively impact their well-being by ensuring their legal housing needs are met.” 

The program focuses on Wake and Mecklenburg counties, with plans to expand to other Alliance-served counties based on its success and impact. TCL members facing housing-related changes are encouraged to reach out to their care managers or to Alliance Member and Recipient Services at 800-510-9132 for more information and to access these services.

For more information about the pilot program or to schedule an interview with representatives from Alliance Health or Legal Aid of North Carolina, please contact:

Doug Fuller

Senior Director, Communications

Alliance Health

dfuller@AllianceHealthPlan.org

Helen Hobson

Chief Communications Officer

Legal Aid of North Carolina

HelenH2@legalaidnc.org

About Alliance Health

Alliance Health is a public managed care organization serving Cumberland, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Orange and Wake counties in North Carolina. Working with a network of more than 4,000 private providers, Alliance has responsibility for almost 470,000 Medicaid-eligible and uninsured individuals among a population of over 3.5M.

The Alliance Medicaid Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability Tailored Plan manages all the health care needs – physical, behavioral and pharmacy – for people with severe mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and long-term care needs including intellectual/developmental disability and traumatic brain injury.

Alliance supports over 1000 members living in supported housing, representing over 30% of North Carolina’s TCL members currently in housing.

About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income individuals and families to ensure equal access to justice. With a dedicated team of attorneys, advocates, and support staff, LANC serves thousands of North Carolinians each year, addressing critical legal needs in areas such as housing, family law, domestic violence, veterans’ issues, immigration, disaster relief, and more. From direct legal assistance to impactful advocacy, education, and innovation, LANC is committed to protecting and advancing the rights of North Carolina’s most vulnerable residents. For more information, visit www.legalaidnc.org.

Category: Media release

Legal Aid of North Carolina is marking the start of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, held annually throughout the last week of October, by announcing this year’s winners of our Pro Bono Hero Awards.

Launched in 2023, the awards recognize remarkable pro bono service on behalf of our clients and law firm — service that we hope serves as an inspiring example to the NC legal community. The awards also celebrate the diversity of the forms of pro bono service from which our clients and organization benefit, and the diversity of the volunteers themselves.

Allison Constance, Director of Pro Bono Programs for Legal Aid NC, said, “This year’s slate of honorees shows just how varied in form — but equal in impact — pro bono service can be.

“Whether it’s serving numerous clients in a single year or serving a single client for numerous years, helping us launch a new program or dedicating oneself to an existing one, serving our clients or serving our firm as a client, all of this year’s honorees are vital partners on our mission to provide equal justice for North Carolinians in need.”

Honeywell

We honor Honeywell for demonstrating remarkable commitment to our housing and domestic violence clients, especially through the service of Dawn Savarese and Kris Pickler, who have gone above and beyond on behalf of our clients and our firm. Learn more about Honeywell from Larissa Mañón Mervin, Regional Managing Attorney for our southern piedmont region, and Hannah Guerrier, our Charlotte Community Engagement Manager.

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

We honor Robinson Bradshaw for its long record of pro bono service to our firm and clients, including this summer’s launch of our Summer Associate Pro Bono Program. Special thanks to Blaine Sanders, Julian Wright and John Wester for their leadership and support. Learn more about Robinson Bradshaw from Allison Constance, our Director of Pro Bono Programs.

Sneed & Stearns, P.A.

We honor Sneed & Stearns for its remarkable dedication to our clients and firm in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. Immediately following the storm, partner Anna Stearns and her team immediately opened their doors to us, providing information, advice, and representation to Legal Aid NC clients and even training their staff to conduct client intake. Learn more about Sneed & Stearns from Allison Constance, our Director of Pro Bono Programs.

Aishah Reed Foster

We honor Aishaah Reed Foster of Moore & Van Allen for showing remarkable dedication to our domestic violence clients both in Charlotte and via remote service to clients in Western North Carolina. Learn more about Aishaah from Larissa Mañón Mervin, Regional Managing Attorney for our southern piedmont region.

Amily McCool

We honor Amily McCool, owner and sole practitioner of the Scharff Law Firm in Raleigh, for her extraordinary, successful and yearslong representation of a client of our Fair Housing Project, and for her and consistent willingness to help with a variety of pro bono matters. Learn more about Amily and her remarkable dedication in this case from Kelly Clarke, Director of our Fair Housing Project.

Brad Banias

We honor Brad Banias of Banias Law, LLC, for rendering remarkable pro bono service to clients of our Immigration Pathways for Victims (IMMPAV) unit in recent years. Learn more about Brad from Anna Cushman, supervising attorney with IMMPAV.

David Lindsay

We honor David C. Lindsay of K&L Gates LLP for providing pro bono legal services on employment issues to Legal Aid of North Carolina for more than 20 years. Learn more about David from Celia Pistolis, our Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

Jon Powell

We honor Jon Powell, Director of the Restorative Justice Clinic at Campbell Law, for always being ready, willing and able to help and inspire our Right to Education Project. Learn more about Jon from Hetali Lodaya, attorney with our Right to Education Project.

Peter Robinson

We honor Peter Robinson, a Raleigh-based international criminal trial lawyer, who goes above and beyond to serve our expunction clients, with a particular emphasis on serving clients in legal deserts. Learn more about Peter from Emily Mistr, the Director of our Second Chance Project.

Category: Media release

The new issue of our pro bono newsletter is hot off the presses! Learn about all the innovative and impactful ways we partner with the private bar to provide access to justice for North Carolinians in need.

Items in this special Tropical Storm Helene edition include:

  • Tropical Storm Helene
    • How to Help: Serve, Give, Spread the Word
    • Patience and Preparation: The watchwords of post-disaster pro bono
  • Other News
    • National Celebration of Pro Bono starts soon!
    • Charlotte Triage marks 6th anniversary
    • BofA, Baker Donelson organize Triage clinics
    • Ashley Edwards-Davis joins Pro Bono team
  • CLE calendar
    • A Not-So-Scary Pro Bono Primer
    • Domestic Violence Awareness Month: True crime in the courtroom
  • Program Spotlight: Second Chance Project
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Evan Lewis
  • Pro Bono Go
    • Grandparent guardians seek custody of grandchildren
    • Advise community garden on nonprofit governance
    • Brief advice in rural domestic violence cases
    • Lawyer on the Line: Housing conditions
Read Newsletter

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Past issues

Category: Media release

The Disaster Legal Services program is a partnership among the North Carolina Bar
Association and Foundation, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and FEMA
to assist North Carolina residents affected by natural disasters.

A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for survivors of Tropical Storm
Helene in North Carolina. Disaster Legal Services, which allows callers to request the
assistance of a lawyer, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association and
Foundation, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Low-income survivors with disaster-related legal questions may call the disaster legal
assistance hotline at 866-219-5262. Callers should identify that they are seeking storm-related
legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services assistance, and identify the county in which
they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina
lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.

Legal assistance is available for the following issue areas:

  • FEMA appeals
  • Disaster Unemployment Assistance and other disaster benefits
  • Insurance claims
  • Home repair contracts and contractor disputes
  • Contractor fraud and consumer protection matters
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Mortgage-foreclosure
  • Landlord/tenant problems

Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have
volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some
limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will
produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid part of the settlement by the court).

Major Disaster Declaration
A total of 26 North Carolina counties and tribes have been approved to receive federal
assistance in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. The counties are: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson,
Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania,
Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (additional
counties may be added later).

People who sustained property damage, need immediate emergency assistance for essential
items (like food, baby formula, or water), or need immediate housing assistance as a result of
Tropical Storm Helene are urged to apply for FEMA assistance, as they may be eligible for
federal and state disaster assistance. People can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
Applicants may also call the FEMA Helpline (1-800-621-3362). Tropical Storm Helene survivors
are also encouraged to review Legal Aid of NC’s resource website at
www.legalaidnc.org/helene.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for
eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit
organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of
replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully
compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service
Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s
website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-
877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4827
and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website at https://www.ncdps.gov/ourorganization/emergency-management/hurricane-helene.

Beware of Fraud
Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina
residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common
post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building
contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations, and fake offers of state or federal aid. North
Carolinians are urged to ask questions and require identification when someone claims to
represent a government agency.

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept
money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to
apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA), or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will
call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency
yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity
theft.

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free).
Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer
Protection Hotline at 877-566-7226.

Background
When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar
Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors
to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority
of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency assistance Act (Public
Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state
bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to
handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers
Division partners with Legal Aid of North Carolina to offer a disaster legal services hotline that
provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that
there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available
for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the
settlement by the court).

Partner Organizations
The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North
Carolina Tropical Storm Helene survivors to request free legal assistance, and to provide
volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from hurricane related damage.

North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation – The North Carolina Bar Association is a
voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public
and the legal profession. The North Carolina Bar Foundation provides support to the Disaster
Legal Services pro bono project and North Carolina Bar Association volunteers. The NCBA
Young Lawyers Division, often referred to as the service arm of the NCBA, is involved in a
multitude of worthwhile projects and public service endeavors, including Disaster Legal
Services.

Legal Aid of North Carolina – Legal aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm
that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access
to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division – The ABA YLD, the largest national
organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession,
and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA,
is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional
membership groups in the world.

Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role
in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all
domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an
agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll-free
legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.

Category: Media release

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) celebrates the first anniversary of its Innovation Lab—the first of its kind within a legal services organization. The Innovation Lab was established to identify and implement creative solutions to bridge the justice gap and modernize legal service delivery. In its inaugural year, the lab has made remarkable progress, particularly in serving rural and underserved communities.

The Innovation Lab’s mission is rooted in tackling the two major challenges facing legal aid programs: securing resources to serve more people and developing cost-effective ways to deliver legal help. By integrating technology, human-centered design, and data-driven insights, the lab operates as a hub of creativity, partnering with community organizations, law schools, justice tech experts, and clients to find innovative solutions to systemic issues.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has recognized LANC’s innovative approach, highlighting it as a potential model for improving legal service delivery on its Talk Justice podcast, in an episode titled “The First Legal Aid Innovation Lab.” LSC has also supported this effort through a significant technology and innovation grant. The Innovation Lab serves as a blueprint for modernizing legal aid, offering practical strategies to better meet the needs of underserved communities across the country.

Over the past year, the lab has tackled barriers to access to justice through a variety of projects:

Key Achievements of the Innovation Lab:

  1. LANC-LIA: In partnership with LawDroid, the lab launched an AI-powered virtual assistant, delivering high-quality legal information and easy access to resources for communities across North Carolina.
  2. EZ Expunge Tool: The lab revamped the expunction petition process through a tech solution that helps individuals clear their criminal records, opening doors to new opportunities.
  3. LANCMobile: A mobile legal services unit was deployed to bring on-the-go legal assistance to remote and underserved areas of the state.
  4. LANC & Libraries: This partnership integrated legal resources and support services into local libraries, expanding access to justice for community members through a trusted, accessible institution.
  5. Rural Innovation Hub: The lab launched this hub to collaborate with clients, local, and regional partners to create a model for delivering legal services to rural communities.
  6. Innovation Olympics: The lab established the first-ever Innovation Olympics—a staff-driven program to foster a culture of creativity and cross-departmental collaboration.
  7. Innovation Fund: Created to support ongoing and future innovation projects, the fund ensures the lab’s continuous efforts to push the boundaries of legal services delivery.

As the lab entered its second year, it launched the National Justice Tech Form—a crowdsourcing platform shaped by input from legal services programs nationwide. This initiative fosters collaboration in developing technology solutions to address access-to-justice gaps, strengthening partnerships between legal services and the broader legal and justice technology community.

Scheree Gilchrist, LANC’s chief innovation officer, said, “Our first year has been a remarkable journey in transforming how we deliver legal services. We are excited to continue innovating, addressing challenges, and sharing these solutions on a national scale.”

The need for innovations like these is immense. The U.S. legal system does not guarantee the right to a lawyer in civil matters, and studies show that 92% of civil legal issues among low-income Americans receive little to no assistance. In North Carolina, around two million residents eligible for LANC services still face access barriers, particularly in geographically isolated regions.

A Look Ahead: Expanding on the Foundational Vision

The Innovation Lab was first conceived to address the overwhelming demand for legal help in North Carolina, particularly through the modernization of LANC’s helpline, which receives more than 360,000 calls annually. Of these, 260,000 calls go unanswered due to capacity limitations. The lab’s inaugural project aimed to reimagine this entry point to legal services, enhancing how individuals can access help via multiple platforms like text messaging and community partner networks. This remains a core focus as the lab continues to innovate ways to better serve North Carolinians.

As the lab marks this milestone, it reaffirms its commitment to using cutting-edge technologies, collaborative solutions, and data-driven insights to bridge the justice gap and serve as a national leader in legal services innovation.

To learn more about the Innovation Lab and its mission, visit legalaidnc.org/innovation-lab.

Category: Media release

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) will host its annual Day of Giving on Sept. 25, 2024, a statewide campaign aimed at raising $100,000 to support vital legal services for individuals and families across all 100 counties in North Carolina. This year’s theme, #StandwithLANC, invites everyone to join the movement to support veterans, survivors of domestic violence, families, children, seniors, and others who cannot afford legal representation.

At LANC, we believe that access to justice is a right, not a privilege. Every donation helps us empower people who face life-altering challenges by providing them with critical legal support. The work we do changes lives—giving people the opportunity to stay in their homes, find safety, and secure brighter futures for themselves and their families.

How You Can Help:

  1. Donate – Contributions can be made directly at legalaidnc.org/donate or on LANC’s Just Giving page.
  2. Spread the Word – Share our social media posts or create your own using the hashtag #StandwithLANC. A toolkit with resources is available at legalaidnc.org/standwithlanc.
  3. Create a JustGiving Page – Click “Start Fundraising” at JustGiving to create your own fundraiser in support of Legal Aid of North Carolina. Share your personal story of why you stand with us!

“Every donation brings us closer to closing the justice gap in North Carolina,” says Helen Hobson, chief communications officer at LANC. “The funds raised will enable us to provide life-changing legal support to more people, ensuring that all North Carolinians—regardless of income—have the opportunity for a fair and just outcome.”

Join Us Online:

About Legal Aid of North Carolina
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to providing free legal services in civil matters to low-income individuals and families. Our mission is to ensure equal access to justice for all North Carolinians, regardless of income.

For more information about the Day of Giving, visit legalaidnc.org/standwithlanc or contact Helen Hobson at HelenH2@legalaidnc.org.

Category: Media release

Innovative work to be distributed across 170 public television stations nationwide

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is proud to announce its selection to be featured in an upcoming segment of Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid, a leading educational television program that highlights stories and initiatives with the potential to make a difference in communities across the nation. The segment will focus on LANC’s work, including the Innovation Lab and LANCMobile, and will be distributed to over 170 public television stations across the United States for a full year, beginning on October 28, 2024.

As an organization dedicated to providing free legal services to North Carolina’s most vulnerable communities, LANC continues to lead with innovation. Through its Innovation Lab, LANC has developed tools such as LIA, an AI-powered virtual assistant and the revamped EZ Expunge tool, which are transforming how legal services are delivered. The LANCMobile, a mobile intake unit, extends access to legal support into the state’s most underserved areas, ensuring that more North Carolinians receive the help they need, no matter where they live.

“This feature on Viewpoint is a great opportunity to showcase how Legal Aid is using technology and innovation to better serve our communities,” said Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer at Legal Aid of North Carolina. “We hope it will bring attention to our mission and the critical services we provide across the state.”

Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid is renowned for producing top-quality programming focused on social and educational issues. Hosted by actor Dennis Quaid, the series emphasizes stories that educate and inspire audiences to take action. The creative team at Viewpoint is dedicated to delivering diverse, high-quality documentaries, making it a fitting platform to share LANC’s story and its mission to improve the lives of North Carolina’s residents through impactful legal services.

The segment featuring LANC’s work will be distributed to over 170 public television stations across the U.S. and will run for a full year, giving viewers the opportunity to learn about the essential services LANC provides and its ongoing commitment to breaking down barriers to justice.

Watch the Segment Below