Organizations Filed Purposes:
TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE FACING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HARDSHIP BY ENGAGING THE LEGAL COMMUNITY IN PRO BONO SERVICE TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR HOMELESS AND LOW-INCOME CLIENTS.
THE NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RECEIVED TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE (233) REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THE CLEARINGHOUSE SUCCESSFULLY MATCHED ONE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE (149) ORGANIZATIONS WITH ATTORNEYS PROVIDING PRO BONO FULL-REPRESENTATION ASSISTANCE. FIFTY-NINE (59) ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED ON-SITE REPRESENTATION ON MATTERS WITH FINITE SCOPES THROUGH FIVE (5) CLINIC-STYLE CONSULTATION PROGRAMS STAFFED BY CORPORATE COUNSEL AND FIRM ATTORNEYS. A TOTAL OF TWO HUNDRED EIGHT (208) CASES WERE PLACED. OUR GOAL WAS TWO HUNDRED (200) CASES PLACED. STAFF PROVIDED IN-HOUSE BRIEF COUNSEL TO SIXTY-TWO (62) CLIENTS. FOUR HUNDRED THREE (403) VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS WERE RECRUITED FOR THIS PROGRAM. OUR GOAL WAS THREE HUNDRED (300) PRO BONO ATTORNEYS. DATA ON THE VALUE OF THE LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED IS STILL BEING COLLECTED BUT BASED ON VALUES RECEIVED FROM 9 OF 30 FIRMS, WE ESTIMATE THAT THE TOTAL WILL EXCEED $4,000,000.THE CLIENTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE REQUIRED TO OPERATE OR INTEND TO OPERATE AS A NONPROFIT IN MASSACHUSETTS; PROVIDE SERVICES TO LOW OR MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE OR SERVE A COMPELLING COMMUNITY NEED; AND BE UNABLE TO AFFORD LEGAL SERVICES OR DEMONSTRATE THAT THE COST OF OBTAINING ASSISTANCE WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR MISSION.PROGRAM OUTCOMES FOR FULL-REPRESENTATION CASES WERE VARIED AND EXTENSIVE ON ISSUES OF REAL ESTATE LITIGATION; ENTITY TRANSFER ANALYSIS; FORMATION OF TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS; DISSOLUTION ANALYSIS; MERGER ANALYSIS; BANKRUPTCY; PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURE; ENTITY CHOICE ANALYSIS; FISCAL SPONSORSHIP; EMPLOYMENT; 40B APPLICATION REVIEW; EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK REVIEW; TRADEMARK ANALYSIS AND FILING; C4 FORMATION ANALYSIS; SJC APPROVAL OF ASSETS TRANSFER; CONTRACT REVIEWS; ANALYSIS OF FISCAL SPONSOREE'S DUTIES; REINSTATEMENT OF NONPROFIT AND TAX-EXEMPT STATUS; WISP AND PERSONNEL POLICIES; PAID TIME OFF ANALYSIS AND EMPLOYEE VS. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR REVIEW; CORPORATE ID THEFT AND REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE IRS; INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COPYRIGHT MATTERS; SCHOLARSHIP AND CORPORATE LEGAL ANALYSIS; IMMIGRATION LAW; LICENSE AGREEMENT; EVENT LIABILITY; PPP LOAN APPLICATION ASSISTANCE; ASSESSING COVID CONTROL PLANS; AND REOPENING VOLUNTEER WAIVERS.PROGRAM OUTCOMES FROM CONSULTATIONS INCLUDED DEVELOPING OR UPDATING POLICIES SUCH AS WISP, ANTI-HARASSMENT, AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; REVIEWING AND NEGOTIATING COMMERCIAL LEASES; UPDATING BYLAWS; AND BEST PRACTICES FOR COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE.SUCCESS WAS MEASURED BY SURVEYING CLIENTS AND LAWYERS AT THE CLOSE OF EACH CASE. OF THE CLIENT SURVEYS WE RECEIVED WHICH RATED THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE LAWYERS CLEARINGHOUSE, 71% RATED THEIR EXPERIENCE AS EXCELLENT AND 29% STATED IT WAS VERY GOOD. 100% OF CLIENTS STATED THAT THE PRO BONO LEGAL ASSISTANCE WILL IMPROVE THEIR OPERATIONS. CLIENTS ALSO REPORTED THAT IN 80% OF COMPLETED CASES, A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE LEGAL ISSUE WAS ACHIEVED. A MIXED RESULT WAS ACHIEVED IN 20% OF THE CASES. WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS LAWYER SURVEYS DURING THE PERIOD WHICH RATED THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE LAWYERS CLEARINGHOUSE. 100% RATED THEIR EXPERIENCE AS EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD. PRO BONO ATTORNEYS WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR CONSULTATION AND CLINIC PROGRAMS RATED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE PROGRAMS AS 9.57 ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10.
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL CLINIC FOR THE HOMELESS PROVIDED LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE (185) HOMELESS AND VERY LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS. THE CLEARINGHOUSE RECRUITED AND TRAINED ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) ATTORNEYS, LEGAL STAFF, AND LAW STUDENTS, WHO PROVIDED DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES AT FIFTEEN (15) CLINICS WHICH WERE HELD THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD AT EIGHT (8) LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS TWO (2) VIRTUAL CLINICS HELD FOLLOWING THE SHUTDOWN DUE TO COVID-19. WE ALSO LAUNCHED AN ADDITIONAL TARGETED CLINIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CODMAN SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CSNDC), URBAN EDGE, AND THE CITY OF BOSTON TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKING TO SEAL OR EXPUNGE THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS. THROUGH THE CORI CLINIC, WE PROVIDED LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO NINETY-FIVE (95) INDIVIDUALS. THE CLEARINGHOUSE RECRUITED AND TRAINED ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) VOLUNTEERS WHO PROVIDED DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES AT TWELVE (12) VIRTUAL CLINICS. IN TOTAL, TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY (280) CLIENTS WERE SERVED BY TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE (265) VOLUNTEERS AT TWENTY-NINE (29) CLINICS. THE TARGET WAS SERVING TWO HUNDRED FIFTY TO TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE (250-275) CLIENTS THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE (175) VOLUNTEERS AT EIGHTEEN (18) CLINICS. DATA ON THE VALUE OF THE LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED IS STILL BEING COLLECTED BUT BASED ON VALUES RECEIVED FROM 11 OF 13 FIRMS, WE ESTIMATE THAT THE TOTAL WILL EXCEED $4,000,000.WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING OUR OTHER GOALS OF INCREASING STAFFING TO 1 FULL-TIME ATTORNEY POSITION (1 FTE) FROM .8 FTE AND RECRUITING AN ADDITIONAL LAW FIRM PARTNER AND AN ADDITIONAL IN-HOUSE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. WE RECRUITED A NEW LAW FIRM PARTNER FOR THE LEGAL CLINIC (PROSKAUER), A NEW LAW FIRM PARTNER FOR THE CORI CLINIC (KIRKLAND & ELLIS), AND TWO ADDITIONAL IN-HOUSE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS FOR THE CORI CLINICS (CITIZENS BANK AND SANTANDER).PARTICIPATING FIRMS WERE BROWN RUDNICK; CHOATE HALL & STEWART; FISH & RICHARDSON; GOULSTON & STORRS; KIRKLAND & ELLIS; MINTZ LEVIN; MORGAN LEWIS; NELSON MULLINS; NIXON PEABODY; NOLAN SHEEHAN PATTEN; PROSKAUER; ROPES & GRAY; AND WILMERHALE. IN ADDITION, IN-HOUSE COUNSEL FROM THE FOLLOWING CORPORATIONS PARTICIPATED DURING THE GRANT PERIOD: CITIZENS BANK; FIDELITY; FM GLOBAL; LIBERTY MUTUAL; SANTANDER; AND STATE STREET.INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS SERVED THROUGH THE LEGAL CLINIC PROGRAM WERE ALL LOW-INCOME AND/OR HOMELESS GUESTS OF THE PINE STREET INN, ST. FRANCIS HOUSE, BRIDGE, METRO HOUSING BOSTON, MEDEIROS CENTER, BOSTON HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM, WOMEN'S LUNCH PLACE, OR OTHERWISE USING SHELTER SERVICES. INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS SERVED THROUGH THE CORI CLINIC PROGRAM WERE MOSTLY LOW-INCOME AND REFERRED BY CSNDC, URBAN EDGE, AND THE CITY OF BOSTON.SUCCESS WAS MEASURED THROUGH ATTORNEY CASE CLOSURE DATA. ONE HUNDRED-EIGHT (108) LEGAL CLINIC CASES WERE CLOSED DURING THE REPORT PERIOD. SEVENTY-ONE (71) WERE BRIEF CASES WHICH RESULTED IN CLIENTS RECEIVING INTAKE AND ADVICE. THIRTY-SEVEN (37) FULL-REPRESENTATION CASES WERE CLOSED AND THIRTY (30) CASE CLOSURE FORMS WERE RECEIVED. APPROXIMATELY 63% OF THOSE CLOSURES REPORTED A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME; 17% REPORTED A MIXED OUTCOME; AND 20% REPORTED AN UNSUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. PROGRAM OUTCOMES DURING THE GRANT PERIOD INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 33% OF CLIENTS AVOIDED EVICTION AND/OR HAD A SUBSIDY REINSTATED AND ARE NO LONGER HOMELESS; 7% OF CLIENTS OBTAINED BENEFITS (SSDI, SSI, AND SS) AND ARE LIKELY NO LONGER HOMELESS; AND 13% OF CLIENTS HAD THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS SEALED AND ARE THEREFORE BETTER ABLE TO ACCESS HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT. PROGRAM OUTCOMES DURING THE GRANT PERIOD ALSO INCLUDED RESOLVING MATTERS RELATED TO CREDIT AND BANKRUPTCY; OPEN WARRANTS; HOUSING DISCRIMINATION; IDENTITY ISSUES; IMMIGRATION ISSUES; PROBLEMS OF APARTMENT ACCESS; LOCATING HOUSING; AND HELPING CLIENTS APPLY FOR HOUSING-RELATED FUNDS. VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY SURVEYS INDICATED THAT 96.7% (29 OF 30) OF THOSE PARTICIPATING RATED THEIR PRO BONO EXPERIENCE AS EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD AND 100% WILL OR MAY VOLUNTEER AGAIN. TEN (10) CLIENT SURVEYS WERE RECEIVED AND 100% REPORTED THAT THE QUALITY OF LEGAL HELP WAS EXCELLENT, 100% REPORTED THAT THEY WERE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY, AND 100% WERE SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THEIR CASE. ADDITIONALLY, 100% OF THE CLIENTS THAT RESPONDED DURING THE GRANT PERIOD SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND LAWYERS CLEARINGHOUSE TO OTHERS.
THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FELLOWS PROGRAM ENGAGED TWENTY-FOUR (24) FELLOWS WHO PROVIDED PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES AND EXPERTISE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN MASSACHUSETTS AT SEVENTEEN (17) PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS: BOSTON COLLEGE INNOCENCE PROGRAM; CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION; FAIR EMPLOYMENT PROJECT; GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES*; JUSTICE BRIDGE LEGAL CENTER; KIND (KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE); LAWYERS CLEARINGHOUSE; MANAGEMENT INFORMATION EXCHANGE*; METROWEST LEGAL SERVICES; MORE THAN WORDS; ONE CAN HELP; PROJECT CITIZENSHIP; RIAN IMMIGRANT CENTER; TRII (THE RIGHT TO IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE); VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES; VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT*; AND WILMERHALE LEGAL SERVICES CENTER AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL. TWO OR MORE FELLOWS VOLUNTEERED AT ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN ASTERISK (*). SIX (6) NEW PARTNERS AS UNDERLINED PARTICIPATED IN THE 2019-2020 PROGRAM. TWENTY-TWO (22) FELLOWS, CURRENT AND CONTINUING, PARTICIPATED IN MONTHLY MEETINGS AND TRAININGS WITH THE PROGRAM'S IMMIGRATION SUBGROUP LED BY JOHN ACHATZ, JANET DONOVAN, AND MARTHA KOSTER. TEN (10) CONTINUING FELLOWS FROM ALL CLASSES PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND A2JF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. FELLOWS CONTINUE TO HELP SUSTAIN THE PROGRAM FINANCIALLY. FIFTY (50) FELLOWS DONATED $20,960 IN FISCAL YEAR 2020.
Executives Listed on Filing
Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing
| Name | Title | Hours Per Week | Total Salary |
|---|
| Maribeth Perry | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $107,428 |
| Fabiana Videla | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Teresa M Santalucia Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher H Lindstrom Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Karen J Kepler Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Donald Deng Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Tonysha Taylor | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Jeffrey W Sacks Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Cindy A Rowe Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Alison Sclater Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Stephen M Nolan Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Rosalyn Garbose Nasdor Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Josephine A Mcneil Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Cheryl S Bratt Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Elizabeth Lintz Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Kurt A James Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Douglas M Henry Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Emily F Hodge Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| George W Mykulak Esq | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Jessica R Lisak Esq | TREASURER-DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Paul R Tremblay Esq | VICE PRESIDENT-DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
| Kathleen Mcgrath Esq | PRESIDENT-DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (
public 990 form dataset) from:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202130189349300208_public.xml