Category: Media release

Yesterday’s fifth annual Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership event was a huge success. Attorneys and leaders from corporations, law firms, legal aid groups and other public-interest organizations gathered together to further strengthen this partnership, which brings together all sectors of the city’s legal community to address the critical legal needs of Charlotte’s most vulnerable residents.

We would like to extend special thanks to the leaders of the partnership:

Bank of America
Duke Energy
Husqvarna
McGuireWoods
Moore & Van Allen
Wells Fargo

And to our partners on the housing/eviction team:

Greg Volk from Bank of America
Mark Kinghorn from McGuireWoods
Nader Raja from Moore & Van Allen
Paul Osowski from Nelson Mullins

Ashley Campbell, CEO of Legal Aid of North Carolina, was a speaker at the event. Other speakers were:

Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Duke Energy
Kieth Cockrell, President, Bank of America Charlotte
Mark K. Metz, Deputy General Counsel, Wells Fargo
Toussaint Romain, CEO, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy

O’Shauna Hunter, head of our Charlotte office’s housing unit, and Casey Burke, joint pro bono coordinator for our Charlotte office and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, are members of the Charlotte Triage Task Force. Other members are:

Sarah Byrne, Senior Counsel, Moore & Van Allen
Alex Castle, Deputy General Counsel, Duke Energy
John Grupp, VP Americas, Deputy General Counsel, Arrival
Stephanie Gryder, Senior Manager of Diversity & Community Initiatives, Moore & Van Allen
Mandy Schuller, Legal Department, Wells Fargo
Todd Stillerman, Associate General Counsel, Wells Fargo
Joanna Wade, Associate General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Angie Zimmern, Counsel and Pro Bono Director, McGuireWoods

Isaac Sturgill, head of our Housing Practice Group, and Thomas Holderness, supervising attorney in our Charlotte office’s housing unit, prepared a virtual CLE program on representing tenants facing eviction, which was screened at the event.

To learn more, visit probono.mcguirewoods.com/charlotte-triage.

Category: Media release

RALEIGH, N.C. — Legal Aid of North Carolina is proud to announce that managing attorney of the Winston-Salem office, Daniel H. Joyce, has been selected as a member of the 2023 class of Leadership Winston-Salem’s Flagship Program. Leadership Winston-Salem’s Flagship Program is designed to inspire selected community leaders to educate and connect with each other. The program challenges participants to increase their personal and collective capacity to transform the community through civic engagement, servant leadership and building social capital. More on the program can be found on Leadership Winston-Salem’s website.

“Under Daniel’s leadership, his team has been working to remove civil legal barriers to economic opportunity for Winston-Salem neighbors in need,” said Legal Aid of North Carolina CEO Ashley Campbell. “We are thrilled that Daniel was selected to be part of this influential group, and are eager to learn from his experience.”

Daniel Joyce is a 2011 graduate of the Elon University School of Law. Prior to earning his law degree, he received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Appalachian State University. Joyce began working at Legal Aid NC in 2016 as a staff attorney representing victims and survivors of domestic violence. Before Legal Aid of North Carolina, he worked in private practice, focusing in both criminal and civil-domestic violence law. He currently serves as the managing attorney for the Winston-Salem office of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

“Public service is my passion, and I am always looking for a way to increase my impact to help others,” said Joyce. “I am thankful for the support of my Legal Aid of North Carolina team.”

Likened to a “community MBA,” Leadership Winston-Salem’s Flagship Program participants benefit through active engagement, attending an entire day of programming each month. They work in “action learning teams” to address a real-life dilemma faced by a local agency. The program involves a considerable investment of time and effort in pre-work assignments and engagement in action learning projects for the duration of the program.

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org, and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Need legal help? Call 1-866-219-5262 (toll-free) or apply online.

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Category: Media release

← Back to Disaster Relief

Legal Aid of North Carolina is helping those recovering from the catastrophic flooding that occurred in August 2021 through free disaster recovery legal services and clinics.

Legal Aid will host clinics in October to assist those affected by Tropical Storm Fred. Storm survivors interested in Legal Aid’s services should call 866-219-5262, extension 2657 to learn more about how Legal Aid may be able to help and schedule an appointment for an upcoming clinic.

Legal Aid may be able to help with accessing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, or the Office of State Budget & Management. Storm survivors may face fraudulent contractors and suppliers, tax issues, home ownership/heir property questions, and the need for wills and advanced directives. Legal Aid can help with this and more.

In June, the Legal Services Corporation announced that it would award $4.35 million to Legal Aid to support the delivery of legal services to low-income people impacted by Tropical Storm Fred, Hurricane Isaias, Tropical Storm Eta, and other severe weather events the state faced in 2020 and 2021. The new grant funds will be used to continue to provide disaster legal services to multiple areas of the state, including Western North Carolina.

Those interested in Legal Aid’s disaster recovery services are encouraged to attend an upcoming event. Call 866-219-5262, extension 2657 to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred.

The events scheduled in October include:

Sunday, October 16 from 1-5 p.m.

Cruso Community Center

13186 Cruso Rd.

Canton, NC 28716

Monday, October 17 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fines Creek Library

190 Fines Creek Rd.

Clyde, NC 28721

Tuesday, October 18 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Transylvania County Library

212 S. Gaston St.

Brevard, NC 28712

Wednesday, October 19 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Cruso United Methodist Church

11653 Cruso Rd.

Canton, NC 28716

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About

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project provides legal assistance and education to survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina and supports community economic development and long-term recovery in disaster-impacted communities. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Media Contact

Hannah Brown, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 704-526-9449, hannahl@legalaidnc.org

Category: Media release

← Back to Healthcare Access

Grant is the second largest award given to 59 organizations across the country

Raleigh – The NC Navigator Consortium is proud to announce that the total for its 2022 CMS Navigator Cooperative Agreement is $6,444,386, the second largest award given to 59 navigator organizations in the United States. The NC Navigator Consortium reaches more than 300,000 North Carolinians each year, providing peace of mind to those seeking free, unbiased help finding quality, affordable health insurance coverage. This grant will enable the organization to expand its reach and increase awareness of the credits and subsidies available on the Health Insurance Marketplace® at HealthCare.gov. More about the NC Navigator Consortium is available at ncnavigator.net. Information about the program and all 2022 awardees can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) website.

The NC Navigator Consortium is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of organizations whose health insurance navigators connect consumers to qualified health plans that provide essential health benefits and preventive care, in addition to mental healthcare, ER care and maternity coverage, not limited by caps or pre-existing conditions. Navigators show consumers all their options, and check to ensure their providers and prescriptions are covered on the plan they select. Navigators are available year-round for questions and to address other issues like qualifying life events, special Open Enrollment periods and income adjustments.

“We thank CMS and are humbled by the vote of confidence in our organization that this award represents,” said Mark Van Arnam, director of the NC Navigator Consortium, who added more than one million North Carolinians are uninsured. “This grant will ensure every North Carolina resident has access to the help they need to get coverage to keep their families healthy.”

According to CMS: “Since 2013, Navigators have helped Americans understand their health insurance options … As trusted community partners, their mission focuses on assisting the uninsured and other underserved communities. Navigators serve an important role in connecting communities that historically have experienced lower access to health coverage and greater disparities in health outcomes to health coverage.”

“With adequate health insurance, families in poverty don’t have to choose between staying healthy and feeding their family or keeping the lights on,” said Ashley Campbell, CEO of Legal Aid of North Carolina, which leads the NC Navigator Consortium. “Access to affordable health insurance is key to providing stability for our clients and helps move families out of poverty.”

The NC Navigator Consortium is the only federally funded entity of its kind in North Carolina, supported in part by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Learn more at ncnavigator.net, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Members of the Consortium are Access East, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNET, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Kintegra Health, NC FIELD and Pisgah Legal Services. The Consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina.

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity number CA-NAV-21-001 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its agencies.

Category: Media release

In June, following the murder of George Floyd, we issued statements committing our organization to help fight the endemic and systemic racism that daily haunts the lives of African-Americans and other people of color in our country.

“Speeches and statements alone, although important, have proved inadequate,” we said. “Acts—actual deeds to dismantle systemic racism—are now the currency required to validate our words.”

Today, we join the nation in mourning the passing of a great man who dedicated his life to acting against racism, injustice and inequality of all types: John Lewis.

In an essay he wrote shortly before his death on July 17, Mr. Lewis spoke of the responsibility we all have to take action against injustice.

“When you see something that is not right, you must say something,” he wrote. “You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”

We share his words with you—our clients, our supporters, our friends—in the hope that they comfort, inspire, and motivate you to continue playing an active role in the struggle against injustice.

Read: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation, by the Honorable John Lewis

Category: Media release

We can help Hurricane Florence survivors with disaster recovery program applications and appeals.

Call our Helpline at 1 (866) 219-LANC (5262).

Learn More

Legal Aid of North Carolina’s disaster relief project helps clients with recovery assistance applications and appeals, including the ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program through the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency. If you are a survivor of Hurricane Florence who would like to learn more about how Legal Aid may be able to help with disaster recovery, we encourage you to call the Legal Aid helpline at 866-219-5262.

How can we help?

When applying for assistance, Legal Aid may be able to help with:

Online filing if you don’t have internet service or email
Reviewing your application before submitting
Helping to collect the documents you need to be sent with an application
Any deed or title concerns that come up before submitting your application
Concerns about receiving assistance from more than one source that is used for the same purpose (Duplication of Benefits)

If you need to file an appeal, Legal Aid NC may be able to:

Talk with your case manager to understand why you were denied
Assist with writing an appeal letter
Help you collect additional documentation that may be helpful in supporting your appeal

Other legal issues that Legal Aid can assist with may occur during the process of applying for recovery programs or receiving a decision from a program. We encourage survivors of Hurricane Florence to contact Legal Aid NC’s helpline at 866-219-5262 to learn if you qualify for Legal Aid NC’s services.

Additional Video Resources:

Accessing recovery funds: Duplication of Benefits and FEMA Recoupment

Applying for a replacement social security card or requesting a copy of your birth certificate in NC

Filing an appeal with ReBuild NC

Duplication of benefits during disaster recovery

The Homestead Property Tax Exclusion

Property Taxes and Disaster Recovery

Your Mortgage and Disaster Recovery

Understanding ReBuild NC: Repair or Replace?

How Legal Aid NC May Be Able To Help With Disaster Recovery & Applying for ReBuild NC

Category: Media release

RALEIGH – Supervising attorney to Legal Aid of North Carolina’s domestic violence unit, Larissa Mañón Mervin, has been elected to the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA). Surrounded by fellow attorneys, colleagues, and friends, Mervin was one of seven new members announced at the NCBA’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Winston-Salem.

Mervin will serve a three-year term on the Board, which provides leadership and governance to the NCBA.

“I am honored to have been elected by my peers to serve the NCBA, legal profession, and citizens of North Carolina in this way,” said Mervin. “Through my years of service in the NCBA and my work at Legal Aid of North Carolina (as well as with other community organizations), I have had the privilege of serving our community alongside some of the most talented, hardworking, and passionate legal professionals in our state; legal professionals who recognize that our profession is uniquely situated to address many of the needs North Carolinians are currently facing and are finding new ways to do that every day. I feel fortunate to have this opportunity to continue doing that as I serve the NCBA in this way.”

Mervin primarily represents survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in civil protective order cases. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2008 and her law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2011. Mervin has long been involved with the NCBA, serving as co-chair to the Pro Bono Committee, and serving on the Professional Vitality and Women in the Profession Committees. She also currently serves as treasurer for the NCBA Family Law Section.

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About

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Need legal help? Call 1-866-219-5262 (toll-free) or apply online at legalaidnc.org/apply.

Media Contact

Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer, 704-430-7616, HelenH2@legalaidnc.org

Category: Media release

← Back to Healthcare Access

Health insurance navigators are ready to help those eligible navigate HealthCare.gov

Raleigh, N.C. – The health insurance navigators of the NC Navigator Consortium are providing free help for North Carolinians that qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) on the Health Insurance Marketplace® at HealthCare.gov currently open to families who make 100% to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The SEP was opened earlier this year to low-income individuals and families who may benefit from low costs through the American Rescue Plan. The NC Navigator Consortium’s federally qualified health insurance navigators are scheduling appointments (by phone, in person or virtually) at ncnavigator.net or 1-855-733-3711.

The SEP is available to eligible people who have applied for HealthCare.gov coverage since Open Enrollment ended and who didn’t have access to another SEP from a qualifying life event. The new SEP will allow eligible consumers to enroll in HealthCare.gov coverage at any time, and possibly qualify for more savings. The FPL annual household income varies by state and household size. According to the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), in North Carolina:

For a household/family size of:	150% of the FPL is:
One	$20,385
Two	$27,465
Three	$34,545
Four	$41,625

“Last year’s Open Enrollment period was very busy for our statewide network of local health insurance navigators,” said Mark Van Arnam, director of the NC Navigator Consortium. “We know uninsured North Carolinians need and want this coverage, but don’t know they can apply now to get coverage that is more affordable than ever.”

Started in 2014, the NC Navigator Consortium is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of organizations whose health insurance navigators give peace of mind to those seeking free, unbiased help finding quality, affordable coverage. Navigators connect consumers to qualified health plans that provide essential health benefits and preventive care, in addition to mental health care, ER care and maternity coverage, not limited by caps or pre-existing conditions. These benefits are covered in all policies available on HealthCare.gov, the federal Health Insurance Marketplace® established by the Affordable Care Act. Tax credits and subsidies made possible by the American Rescue Plan have lowered premiums, making Marketplace plans very affordable.

Though the Marketplace has increased access to health insurance coverage for millions, trying to enroll or update one’s coverage through the Marketplace can be confusing and overwhelming. Health insurance navigators help North Carolinians maximize their coverage by:

Taking time with them to help avoid mistakes
Showing all options, ensuring their providers are in-network
Explaining terminology and processes, increasing health insurance literacy
Assisting them with estimating their income for the year ahead, one of the most difficult parts of the HealthCare.gov application process

Navigators are available year round for questions and to address other issues like qualifying life events, special enrollment periods and income adjustments.

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Category: Media release

N.C. legal services attorney and advocate Ashley Campbell takes the helm

RALEIGH — Legal Aid of North Carolina has announced legal services attorney and longtime volunteer Ashley Campbell as its new CEO. Campbell has begun the transition process with George Hausen, the organization’s leader of more than 20 years who is retiring. Campbell brings more than 20 years of legal experience and leadership acumen as a legal services attorney, commercial litigator, assistant clinical professor and director of the Blanchard Community Law Clinic.

Campbell assumes the role as Legal Aid of North Carolina celebrates its 20th anniversary and seeks to grow the organization’s impact. To learn more, donate, volunteer and get involved, visit legalaidnc.org.

“Ashley started her legal career as a staff attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina in 2003 and has been a valued volunteer and legal services advocate ever since,” explained Gonzalo Frias, managing counsel with Wells Fargo’s legal department and chair of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s board of directors. “She has built a distinguished career and impressive track record of increasing access to justice in various leadership roles. We are honored to have her as this organization’s next CEO.”

“We do this work because we are passionately committed to the idea that all people are entitled to fair representation in our courts,” said Campbell. “I look forward to working with our donors, staff and legal services partners to do everything that we can to increase access to justice for all North Carolinians.”

Campbell began her career at Legal Aid of North Carolina in 2003 representing clients in the areas of landlord tenant and domestic violence in Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties. During that time, Campbell was supervised and trained by legendary housing attorney Ted Fillette, with whom she brought an appeal to the N.C. Court of Appeals, resulting in a decision that reaffirmed the rights of residential tenants to safe and habitable housing. The case (Dean v. Hill, 171 N.C.App. 479, July 2005) has since been cited by the North Carolina appellate courts more than a dozen times.

In 2005, Campbell worked at the N.C. General Assembly as a non-partisan staff attorney in the Bill Drafting division and committee counsel to the House Finance Committee. In the years that followed, Campbell became an experienced real estate and commercial litigator at Ragsdale Liggett. In 2016, she transitioned her practice to Campbell Law School where she served as director of the Blanchard Community Law Clinic. She led a team of lawyers, administrators and law students to provide legal services in the areas of criminal record expunction, driver’s license restoration, debt remediation, landlord/tenant and domestic violence representation.

Campbell’s professional accomplishments have been honored by the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and the Triangle Business Journal. She has been named to North Carolina Super Lawyers® multiple times and has been a “Best Lawyer in America” in commercial and real estate litigation since 2016. In 2017, she became president of the Wake County Bar Association where she championed pro bono service and fundraising for Legal Aid of North Carolina. She transformed the Bar leadership nominating process to recruit more diverse leadership into the Bar, which remains one of the most diverse in the state.

Campbell is a member of the Chief Justice’s Equal Access to Justice Commission and the Chief Justice’s Faith and Justice Alliance. She is also past president of the Tenth Judicial District Bar. She was nominated by her peers in the Tenth Judicial District in January 2022 to serve on the State Bar Council, a position she took to work on regulatory change issues to increase access to justice.

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About

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Need legal help? Call 1-866-219-5262 (toll-free) or apply online at legalaidnc.org/apply.

Media Contact

Helen Hobson, Chief Communications Officer, 704-430-7616, HelenH2@legalaidnc.org

Category: Media release

← Back to Disaster Relief

This press release was published by the Legal Services Corporation. Click here to view the release on their website.

WASHINGTON—The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today that it is awarding $4.35 million to Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) to support the delivery of legal services to low-income people impacted by Hurricane Isaias, Tropical Storm Eta, Tropical Storm Fred and other severe weather events the state faced in 2020 and 2021.

LANC is one of 19 organizations around the country receiving grants for natural disasters faced in 2020 and 2021. Congress included $40 million for LSC in a $28.6 billion emergency supplemental appropriation attached to the September 2021 Continuing Resolution to fund the government in FY 2022.

Survivors of natural disasters often require immediate legal assistance to file for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and insurance benefits and to deal with related evictions, unemployment and document replacement. Legal challenges can haunt survivors for years. Cases involving FEMA appeals, bankruptcy, public housing and domestic violence will arise, and disaster victims can be vulnerable to fraud or scams.

“Low-income people who confront civil legal issues in the wake of natural disasters face an uphill battle, and they shouldn’t have to go it alone,” said LSC President Ronald S. Flagg. “We are grateful that Congress recognizes the need for legal assistance in these recovering communities and provided this funding that will help our neighbors repair and stay in their homes, obtain key identification documents, apply for benefits and so much more.”

LANC will use this grant to grow its disaster relief program, creating two teams to serve the eastern and western regions of North Carolina. Each team will include a supervising attorney, three staff attorneys and two paralegals. The grant will also fund four additional full-time positions that will contribute to the success of the disaster relief project.

A primary focus of LANC’s legal work will be building resiliency by solving property ownership issues. In addition to handling cases, LANC staff will focus on community education and outreach—not just to community members, but also to community partners, charitable organizations, and recovery programs.

Members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation voiced their support for Legal Aid of North Carolina’s work to help disaster survivors.

“People hit with natural disasters often suffer devastating losses and lack the ability to afford the legal assistance they need to recover,” said Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-6). “Legal Aid North Carolina helps more than 25,000 people each year by educating them about their rights, offering legal advice, and representing clients in disputes. I’m pleased to announce this $4,350,000 grant will help Legal Aid North Carolina assist additional North Carolinians who have been impacted by recent natural disasters.”

“The aftermath of a disaster can leave survivors navigating a series of complex processes when filing insurance claims, replacing lost documents, or applying for FEMA assistance. Access to legal assistance is a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of disaster recovery,” said Rep. David Price (NC-4). “I am pleased that the Legal Services Corporation is awarding this grant of $4.35 million to Legal Aid of North Carolina, which will be used to fund essential legal assistance for North Carolinians recovering from the impact of Hurricane Isaias, Tropical Storm Eta, and Tropical Storm Fred.”

“Legal Aid of North Carolina offers indispensable assistance to North Carolinians, advocating for our most vulnerable during times of hardship,” said Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-2). “As extreme weather worsens, this grant will ensure the organization can better support those who are disproportionately burdened by the negative effects of climate change across North Carolina. From helping disaster survivors recover legal documents to assisting individuals with insurance claims, I know Legal Aid of North Carolina will continue offering vital support with this funding. I thank the Legal Services Corporation for recognizing their essential work.”