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New legal clinic concentrates on cases of women languishing in the system for crimes against alleged abusers

Annie Sweeney

March 16, 2021 |

Chicago Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

The Women and Survivors Project provides legal representation to women imprisoned for crimes that stemmed from histories of abuse. Nearly all incarcerated women have suffered violent abuse. Many end up punished for fighting back or when their abuser forces them to participate in his crimes, but their defenses often get overlooked in court. The project so far has helped free five women by getting judges or parole officials to reconsider their cases, including one woman convicted of first-degree murder. It has dozens more cases in the pipeline.

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‘I thought I was gonna die in prison.' How COVID is opening NC prison gates.

Virginia Bridges

March 12, 2021 |

The Charlotte Observer |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Three incarcerated people and a coalition of social justice groups sued North Carolina over its prison COVID-19 policies, winning a settlement that is accelerating releases from prison that began at the start of the pandemic. The state's prison population is already 17% lower than it was before the pandemic. Under the settlement, 3,500 more people will be granted early releases, which have begun to occur, under new criteria that changed prison rules to recognize the urgency of getting people away from a virus breeding ground.

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The Streets Are My Home: Evictions, Homelessness and COVID

Kolby Webster Arielle Davis

March 02, 2021 |

KOSU |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Restore Hope Ministries worked to prevent homelessness and evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic by using private donations, foundation grants, and CARES Act funds to provide rental assistance to 1,422 households. Each household received up to several months of rent, totaling $3.5 million in assistance, and targeting populations and neighborhoods most vulnerable to eviction and homelessness. The Tulsa Day Center also pivoted due to the pandemic and sheltered people identified as most vulnerable in place day and night, while working with the city and county to open up and run an overflow shelter.

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Legal Aid Society surges with COVID-19 pandemic

Grant Segall

January 31, 2021 |

Cleveland Jewish News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland has helped economically-disadvantaged clients with legal representation in civil issues. Legal Aid helps clients navigate complicated unemployment benefit systems, fight evictions and foreclosures, and informs the public about legal rights.

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Rentervention connects renters with legal services, virtually

Lauren Leazenby

December 18, 2020 |

The Columbia Chronicle |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

A chatbox is dispensing free legal advice and even writing and sending letters to landlords to help tenants facing eviction. Landlords typically hire lawyers in eviction cases, while the majority of tenants arrive in court without any legal assistance, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage. The chatbox, cleverly named Rentervention, has been especially busy helping tenants avoid eviction since the start of the pandemic.

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Cleveland's historic Legal Aid Society surges with the pandemic

Grant Segall

December 01, 2020 |

The Land |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is helping low-income people facing legal hardships and civil issues obtain fair representation and access to services and aid. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the organization has struggled to keep pace with the need, but has still been able to provide services to nearly half of those who have requested and connect many of the others with partner organizations.

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Billions in COVID Relief Has Gone to Farmers. Just Not Black or Family-Owned Farms in Appalachia.

Beth Ward

October 19, 2020 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kentucky

Several organizations — including the Kentucky Black Farmer Fund, Community Farm Alliance, and Black Soil: Our Better Nature — are working together to provide disaster relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to Black farmers. They’ve been able to award 43 small farms with a one-time payment of up to $750, which was used to purchase equipment or personal protective equipment. That amount can only help them so much, but it’s a step in helping Black farmers receive federal aid, which they historically have been left out of.

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New York City's Right to Counsel law helps stem the epidemic of evictions, and provides a blueprint for Milwaukee

James E. Causey

October 16, 2020 |

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York's Universal Access to Counsel Law gives tenants who are facing economic hardship a right to free legal advice which increases the chance of winning their case in housing court. Landlords typically have legal representation in court but the overwhelming majority of defendants do not - leaving them at a distinct disadvantage and more likely to experience housing instability. The NY law has been a model for several cities with high eviction rates and can also serve as a blueprint to decrease high eviction numbers in Milwaukee. Of the tenants who utilized the legal services, 84% kept their housing.

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Equality of Opportunity

Sarah Aronson

October 13, 2020 |

Montana Free Press |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Crow Indian Reservation, United States, Montana

Legal challenges have protected Native voting rights since the 1980s, when districts diluting native votes were ruled unconstitutional and redrawn. In 2012, three tribes sued to increase access to registration and polling sites. The county settled, agreeing to open offices on two reservations two days a week. In 2018, tribal leaders challenged a law limiting the number of ballots someone could collect on behalf of others. A judge agreed that, by disproportionately suppressing Native votes, it was unconstitutional. The legal challenges increased voter turnout and helped elect more Native representatives.

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Can't Pay Your Rent? ‘Lawtech' Is Here to Help.

Kriston Capps

September 18, 2020 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Soon after the federal government imposed a second moratorium on evictions, SixFifty, a tech firm, released Hello Landlord, a mobile app for tenants to generate a legally compliant form letter invoking the law with their landlords to block a threatened eviction. In the first nine days after its release, the app was used by more than 200 people. The free service is an example of what's called lawtech: technology giving access to legal information to individuals and small businesses. Hello Landlord asks 19 questions that serve to automate what a tenant's lawyer might do – if only the tenant could afford one.

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