CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS
3775 SPRUILL AVENUE SUITE B, CHARLESTON, SC 29405 www.charlestonlegalaccess.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO EXPAND ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND RIGHTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS WAS CREATED TO FILL A VOID IN THE LEGAL COMMUNITY AND OFFER SERVICES NOT PROVIDED BY ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE. OUR GOAL IS SIMPLE: TO PROVIDE LOW-COST LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ASSISTANCE TO THE WORKING POOR AND OTHERS OF MODEST MEANS WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FREE LEGAL SERVICES BUT WHO CANNOT AFFORD A PRIVATE ATTORNEY. SPECIFICALLY, WE SERVE THOSE BETWEEN 125% (THE CUT-OFF FOR FREE LEGAL SERVICES ABSENT A WAIVER) AND 400% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE. WE ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE BELOW 125% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE IF THERE IS SOME REASON THAT THEY CANNOT OBTAIN FREE LEGAL SERVICES ELSEWHERE, CAN PAY OUR MINIMUM RETAINER (OR CONSULTATION FEE), AND OTHERWISE MEET OUR CASE SELECTION CRITERIA. THOUSANDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS GO UNREPRESENTED IN TIMES OF NEED BECAUSE THEY FALL INTO THIS JUSTICE GAP. BY PROVIDING LEGAL ASSISTANCE BEFORE PARTIES BECOME INDIGENT, OUR SERVICES PRESERVE THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF OUR CLIENTS IN THE LONG TERM AND EASE THE DEMANDS THEY WOULD OTHERWISE PLACE ON SOCIAL SERVICES. THESE FAMILIES ARE DEALING WITH ISSUES THAT COULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE THEM FROM BARELY SURVIVING MONTH-TO-MONTH TO HOMELESSNESS AND OUTRIGHT POVERTY. EXAMPLES INCLUDE INVALID AND PREDATORY DEBT COLLECTION, FORECLOSURE, EVICTIONS, LANDLORD-TENANT DISPUTES, WAGE THEFT, AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION. CLA WORKS TO PREVENT SUCH OUTCOMES BY PROVIDING LEGAL REPRESENTATION AT THESE CRITICAL MOMENTS IN THEIR LIVES. WE PRIORITIZE CASES THAT PRESERVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY PRESERVING INCOME STREAMS, HOMES, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. CLA PROVIDES ADVICE AND COUNSEL OVER THE PHONE FOR FREE, IN-DEPTH IN-PERSON CONSULTATIONS FOR A FLAT FEE OF 50-100, AND FULL REPRESENTATION ON A SLIDING SCALE. OUR SLIDING SCALE MODEL PROVIDES LEGAL ASSISTANCE AT LOW, ACCESSIBLE RATES OF 50-100 PER HOUR (15-30% OF THE COST OF HIRING A PRIVATE FIRM), WITH THE RATE DETERMINED BY THE INDIVIDUALS INCOME AND FAMILY SIZE. THIS HYBRID FUNDING MODEL WHERE LOW-RATE FEES ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT: ALLOWS DONOR DOLLARS TO GO FARTHER AND ENABLES OUR ATTORNEYS TO ACCESS MORE CLIENTS AND INCREASE OUR IMPACT IN SOUTH CAROLINA; ENSURES THAT CLIENTS ARE INVESTED AND ENGAGED IN THEIR CASES, AND THAT WE ARE PURSUING ONLY CLAIMS THAT BOTH WE AND OUR CLIENTS THINK ARE WORTH THE RESOURCES; AND GIVES CLIENTS A SENSE OF AGENCY IN THEIR CASES THAT WE ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT. THEY ARE PAYING FOR OUR SERVICES, HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR CASE, AND ARE ENTITLED TO HIGH QUALITY REPRESENTATION. WE SET A GOAL TO GET BETTER EVERY YEAR. WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES SERVED AND OUR IMPACT EVERY YEAR. MEETING THIS GOAL IN 2019 WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE FACED SEVERAL STAFFING TRANSITIONS INCLUDING THE SIMULTANEOUS DEPARTURE OF OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF ATTORNEY. IN ADDITION, WE MOURNED THE PASSING OF OUR FOUNDER AND LEGAL DIRECTOR, SALLY NEWMAN, DUE TO CANCER IN AUGUST OF 2019. OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LANA, STARTED IN APRIL 2019, SPENDING THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF HER EMPLOYMENT FOCUSED ON DEVELOPMENT, FUNDRAISING, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND SITTING FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAR. THE LOSS OF OUR STAFF ATTORNEY WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AS HE LEFT LESS THAN A YEAR OF BEING HIRED, AFTER WE INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND RESOURCES TRAINING HIM. LUCKILY, IN AUGUST, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE A NEW STAFF ATTORNEY WITH SEVERAL YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WHO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. DESPITE THESE SETBACKS, IN 2019, WE CLOSED 118 MATTERS WITH A DIRECT FINANCIAL IMPACT OF 93,784, AS WELL AS A NON-FINANCIAL IMPACT, INCLUDING PROVIDING ADVICE TO A NON-PROFIT TO RESOLVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUE; DRAFTED A POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR A CLIENT WHOSE WAS INCARCERATED, NEGOTIATED A PURCHASE SALE AGREEMENT FOR A FOOD TRUCK FOR ONE OF OUR MICROBUSINESS CLIENTS, INCREASED THE NUMBER OF ELDERLY CLIENTS WE ASSISTED AND HELPED LAUNCH THE HOUSING COURT PILOT PROJECT IN CHARLESTON COUNTY. IN TOTAL, SINCE OPENING OUR DOORS IN FEBRUARY 2016, WE CLOSED 494 MATTERS, WITH A DIRECT FINANCIAL IMPACT OF OVER 1.5 MILLION.

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