Overview

Benefits and Employment

CLA's Benefits and Employment Unit represents people with cases before the Social Security Administration, Department of Transitional Assistance, and Division of Unemployment Assistance concerning various benefits such as SSI, TAFDC, EAEDC, food stamps, MassHealth, and unemployment benefits.  The unit also represents people who have wage or employment discrimination claims.

Elder Law

CLA's Elder Unit provides legal services in all cases handled for persons 60 years old and older, including housing cases; SSI and Social Security disability cases and other Social Security issues; issues involving access to healthcare benefits including Medicare; nursing home rights; SNAP (food stamps) and other benefits; family law, including physical abuse; and financial exploitation.

Family Law

CLA's Family Law Unit provides legal assistance to domestic violence victims and other vulnerable clients in cases involving restraining orders, divorce, paternity, custody and visitation, child support, health insurance, and name change petitions in appropriate situations. 

Housing and Homelessness

CLA's Housing and Homelessness Unit provides legal services to help tenants facing eviction, homeowners who are threatened with foreclosure, homeless families who need to access the state's Emergency Assistance shelter program, and people trying to get into affordable housing.  The Unit also runs a housing discrimination testing and enforcement program.

Immigration

CLA's Immigration Unit represents clients seeking various forms of humanitarian immigration relief.  We help immigrant survivors of domestic violence and other crimes to secure legal status through self-petitions under the Violence Against Women Act and applications for U and T visas.  We provide referrals to other non-profit agencies for those we cannot represent. 

Education

CLA's Education Law Project aims to keep children out of the “school- to-prison-pipeline” by helping students obtain services that can mean the difference between graduation and incarceration.  These services, required by federal and state law, are crucial, especially for students with disabilities, who are more likely to display the types of behavioral problems that can land them in repeated suspensions, out of school, and into juvenile detention facilities.