Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. provides free civil legal services to low income and elder residents of Essex and Northern Middlesex Counties, Massachusetts. We were established in 1967 as part of the War on Poverty. Two years ago we had 14 attorneys and 4 paralegals on our staff, now we are down to 6 attorneys.
NLS has over 15 funding sources. Our two primary ones are from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) which receives a direct state appropriation and from Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA). Under Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules, an attorney holding funds on behalf of a client must place the funds either in an account that pays interest to the client or in a pooled IOLTA account.
NLS has over 15 funding sources. Our two primary ones are from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) which receives a direct state appropriation and from Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA). Under Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules, an attorney holding funds on behalf of a client must place the funds either in an account that pays interest to the client or in a pooled IOLTA account.
Services
About Us
Report
Neighborhood Legal Services is a free provider of civil legal assistance for low income residents of Essex County, Massachusetts. NLS' staff of 12 attorneys, 3 paralegals and support staff provide help to more than 3500 households every year. We have offices at 181 Union Street, Suite 201, Lynn, MA 01902 (781) 599-7730 and 170 Common Street, Suite 300, Lawrence, MA 01840-1558 (978) 686-6900.
What We Do
Report
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. provides free civil legal services (we don't handle criminal matters) to low income and elder residents of Essex county, Massachusetts. We provide assistance with housing matters, including eviction defense, housing discrimination and housing conditions issues. We provide assistance in family disputes involving divorce, custody of children, child support and protection from abuse.
Advocacy
Report
It has been a very busy few months here at NLS with many important victories to report for our clients.
Community Economic Development lawyering refers to the provision of a wide range of community building and advocacy-related services in which advocates support community-identified change initiatives which include such activities as supporting a neighborhood's effort to develop affordable housing, assisting tenant organizations to preserve their affordable development, creating day care centers, influencing public policies that affect low-income communities, and facilitating the creation and ongoing support of permanent community-based institutions.
Community Economic Development lawyering refers to the provision of a wide range of community building and advocacy-related services in which advocates support community-identified change initiatives which include such activities as supporting a neighborhood's effort to develop affordable housing, assisting tenant organizations to preserve their affordable development, creating day care centers, influencing public policies that affect low-income communities, and facilitating the creation and ongoing support of permanent community-based institutions.
Donors
Report
It's a new non-profit organization created collaboratively by some of the nation's largest technology companies - AOL Time Warner, Cisco Systems and Yahoo - to provide a free means for non-profit service providers like Neighborhood Legal Services to have access to safe, secure and private credit card donation services.
Pro Bono Opportunities
Report
NLS offers a myriad of opportunities for attorneys wishing to do pro bono work. We have opportunities with very limited time commitments to opportunities for complex case representation with training and mentoring. We are constantly looking for new ways to incorporate the knowledge and expertise of private practitioners, so if you don't see something that fits your interests, contact us and we will see if we can accommodate your desires.
Reviews
Be the first to review Neighborhood Legal Services Association.
Write a Review
