Since 1980, Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV), has been a vital part of the legal community and the community at large. LSNV is the law firm for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Our staff and volunteers strive every day to make the justice system work. Legal aid is about giving low-income people and communities an equal shot at the justice they deserve in order to meet their basic needs, and create pathways out of poverty. For some Legal Services is a starting point. For ... Leer más
Since 1980, Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV), has been a vital part of the legal community and the community at large. LSNV is the law firm for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Our staff and volunteers strive every day to make the justice system work. Legal aid is about giving low-income people and communities an equal shot at the justice they deserve in order to meet their basic needs, and create pathways out of poverty. For some Legal Services is a starting point. For others, we are an eleventh hour attempt to grab hold of a lifeline.
According to the latest Census, it is estimated that there are almost 200,000 people living in poverty in Northern Virginia. Many of these families and individuals are in need of civil legal services. In 2019 alone, LSNV's 41 staff attorneys, 30 paralegals and administrative professionals, and hundreds of pro bono volunteers handled 5,962 cases directly benefiting 14,430 people. However, for each case that LSNV handles, we have to turn away one due to lack of resources, and resources for legal aid are harder to come by than ever. LSNV's level of government funding, in particular, has been increasingly uncertain in recent years.
Legal Services is a safety net that helps our less fortunate neighbors secure or maintain critical needs. Whether it is the desperate fight of a domestic violence victim to secure a protective order, a family's hope to save their home from foreclosure or eviction, or a parent's struggle to ensure his son or daughter receives the special education services to which he or she is entitled, thousands of Northern Virginians would have nowhere to turn if it were not for LSNV.
LSNV serves families and individuals in a variety of substantive legal areas, including:
Family Law: The Family Law Unit handles various domestic relations issues including child custody, visitation, support, and divorce. The unit's highest priority is representing survivors of domestic violence.
Housing: LSNV's Housing Law Unit helps clients who are in danger of losing their home through foreclosure or eviction.
Consumer Advocacy: The Consumer Law Unit represents individuals in cases targeted at protecting the client's limited income and property.
Public Benefits: LSNV's Public Benefits Unit assists clients, many of whom suffer from a physical or mental impairment, in obtaining and keeping critical public benefits such as TANF, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Social Security Disability, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and more.
Elder Law: LSNV's Elder Advocates provide specialized services for persons over sixty, including Medicaid and Medicare issues; healthcare, nursing home, and assisted living issues; and wills, advanced medical directives, powers of attorney and guardianship matters.
The Law Center for Children: The Law Center for Children (TLC) specializes in the unmet legal needs of children. TLC has a special focus on representing children in need of special education services.
Employment Law: LSNV assists with non-payment or underpayment of wages, denial of unemployment compensation, employment discrimination, civil service disciplinary matters, pensions, and disability benefits.
The Veterans Law Project: LSNV attorneys help at-risk and homeless veterans in removing barriers to housing, employment, and self-sufficiency.
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