Know Your Rights: Fair Housing, Sexuality, and Gender Identity and Expression.
2024-01-27 15:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Know Your Rights: Fair Housing, Sexuality, and Gender Identity and Expression.
January 27, 2024 – 3:30pm to 5pm, Forbes Library
January 30, 2024 – 6pm to 7:30pm, Translate Gender.
LGBTQIA+ individuals are protected by both federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Join the Fair Housing Project of Community Legal Aid and Translate Gender for a workshop that addresses legal rights under the Fair Housing Act and Massachusetts state anti-discrimination laws.
Register:
forms.gle/gkLMNtUCrhUe29Zt6

Consumer Debt Training- Advising and Representing Debtors in Small Claims Court
2024-01-29 16:00 - 18:00 | via Zoom, MA, United States
A CLE webinar produced by the Social Law Library featuring:

Joy Sun, Attorney, Consumer Rights Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services
Sarah Perlman, Attorney, Consumer Rights Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services
Choyce McIntosh, Pro Bono Coordinator, Community Legal Aid

This training will provide you with the resources necessary to do so, whether you‘re a pro bono volunteer or just starting your consumer law practice. Topics covered will include:

An overview of consumer debt collection
How to validate & dispute debt
Stopping harassment by debt collectors
What income is exempt from collection
Advising and representing debtors in small claims court
Relevant consumer resources in Massachusetts
Answering your consumer debt questions

Worcester Probate and Family Court Lawyer for the Day
2024-02-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Worcester Court Service Center, 225 Main St, 1st Floor, Worcester, 01608, United States
Worcester Probate and Family Court Lawyer for the Day

At this pro bono program coordinated by Community Legal Aid, low-income litigants can speak to a free volunteer private attorney to get basic legal advice, help understanding the laws, and assistance filling out forms. Please note that the program only assists with family law matters and does not assist with probate matters.
Because this pro bono program is dependent upon volunteers, we cannot guarantee a volunteer attorney is available each week. Please check our calendar to confirm whether a volunteer is scheduled for the day you plan to arrive. Occasionally, we are unable to provide an update if a volunteer cancels with less than 24 hours’ notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
WHEN:

Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

No sign-up necessary. First-come, first-served

Due to volunteer capacity, we can only assist approximately 5 people each session
LOCATION:

Worcester Court Service Center; 1st floor of the Worcester Trial Court

225 Main St., 1st Floor, Worcester, MA 01608
ELIGIBILITY:

Serving low-income individuals whose household income falls 200% or below the federal poverty guidelines

Can only serve U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents, or those with an eligible documented status
SERVICES:

Legal advice and guidance; answer case-related questions; discuss legal options and strategy; assist drafting pleadings and court forms for family law matters
WANT TO BE A VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY? SIGN UP HERE (for attorneys only)
QUESTIONS? Please email FamilyLFD@cla-ma.org.

Worcester District Court Small Claims Lawyer for the Day
2024-03-19 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-03-26 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-04-02 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-04-09 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-04-16 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-04-23 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-04-30 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-05-07 08:45 - 11:00 and 10 more dates | via Zoom, MA, United States
VOLUNTEER CALL TO ACTION!
This remote Lawyer for the Day program is a collaborative pro bono project with the Worcester County Bar Association (WCBA) that provides Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) to low-income debtors in the Worcester District Court, Small Claims Session. This program takes places every Tuesday morning between 8:45 – 11:00 A.M. via Zoom.
SIGN UP HERE for a session between January and March 2026!

Community Legal Aid Board Meeting
2024-03-25 17:15 - 18:30, 2024-07-22 05:15 - 18:30

Family Lawyer for the Day CANCELED
2024-03-27, 2024-05-08

Housing Court Training for Attorneys - Hampden County
2024-03-27 13:00 - 16:30 | Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, 50 State Street, Springfield, MA, 01102, United States
The Hampden County Bar Association Legal Clinic, in partnership with Community Legal Aid, will be hosting a Housing Court Training to train attorneys in a new area of practice.
The Training will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse in the Commissioners Room. The Training will prepare volunteers with a basic overview of Housing Court Law and tools to assist landlords and tenants in a “Lawyer for the Day” (LFD) capacity. The Training will cover an overview of Massachusetts residential tenancy laws, a summary of process law and procedure, and the purpose of LFD/Role of the Volunteer Lawyer.
A certificate of attendance and Lunch will be provided! *Attendees must sign up for a LFD shift as the price of admission*
PANEL
• Honorable Jonathan J. Kane, First Justice, Western Division Housing Court
• Clerk Magistrate Michael J. Doherty, Western Housing Court
• Chief Housing Specialist Jenni Pothier, Western Division Housing Court
• Gordon P. Shaw, Esq., Community Legal Aid
• Dennis P. Powers, Esq., Powers Law Group LLP
• Peter T. Lane, Esq., Fierst Bloomberg Ohm LLP
• Richard Herbert, Esq., Rich Herbert Law, P.C.
REGISTER TODAY!
For questions please call 413-733-6500 or email Tamika Ortiz-Acosta, Legal Clinic Manager, at tamika@hcbar.org

Criminal Record Sealing and Expungement Clinic (Gt. Barrington)
2024-04-09 17:00 - 19:00 | The Guthrie Center, 2 Van Deusenville Rd, Great Barrington, 01230, United States
What: Criminal Record Sealing and Expungement Clinic
Despite the fact that you may never have been found guilty of a charge, or that you fulfilled any requirements of a guilty plea or verdict, you might be having trouble finding or keeping housing or employment because of your Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)
If you want help understanding what is on your CORI and attempting to seal eligible charges, we are here to help.
When: April 9, 2024 from 5:00-7:00 PM
Where: The Guthrie Center, 2 Van Deusenville Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Senior Partners for Justice Virtual Luncheon
2024-06-12 13:00 - 14:00
What: The Honorable John D. Casey is the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department. Previously, he was an Associate Justice and then First Justice of the Norfolk Division of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. He was also an Associate Justice of the Essex Division of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. He served as a member of the Commission on Judicial Conduct, 2025 Transition Leadership Team, mentored new judges and served as a panelist on numerous events for the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) and numerous local state bar associations. In 2014, He received the Bar Association of Norfolk County Person of the Year Award. In 2021 Chief Justice Casey accepted the National Child Support Enforcement Association Innovative Partnership/Collaboration Award on behalf of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. In 2022, Chief Justice Casey was bestowed the Oracle Award from the Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inn of Court. For 23 years, he was a partner in the Attleboro Law Firm of Casey and Thompson, P.C. where he specialized in family law and criminal defense. Chief Justice Casey previously co taught the MCLE Family Law Trial Advocacy program. He received his undergraduate degree from Bates College and his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1982.

When: Jun 12, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Where: Zoom, you can register here.

Preventing Homelessness in Greater Greenfield: Learn about Community Legal Aid's Grant Funded Resources
2024-06-20 14:00 - 15:00
What: A conversation hosted by the Opioid Task Force with CLA Managing Attorney Jennifer Dieringer, Housing Attorney Jennifer Alpert, and House Attorney Gabriel Fonseca about CLA’s recently obtained grant funding to prevent homelessness in the Greater Greenfield area.
When: June 20, 2024 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Where: Zoom, you can register for free here.

Office Hours With An Attorney (Springfield)
2024-06-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Springfield Vietnamese Cultural Association, 433 Belmont Ave, Springfield, MA, 01108
Learn about the services offered by Community Legal Aid and the Western New England School of Law Center for Social Justice and consult with an attorney for FREE!
Community Legal Aid, a non-profit organization, provides FREE civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Masschusetts. Learn More: WWW.COMMUNITYLEGAL.ORG
The Center for Social Justice at Western New England School of Law aims to assist marginalized and underserved communities and strengthen collaborative efforts between the Law School and the local region to work toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive society. Learn More: WNE.EDU/LAW/CENTERS/CENTER-FOR-SOCIAL-JUSTICE
Where: Springfield Vietnamese Cultural Association, 433 Belmont Ave., Springfield, MA 01108
When: Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 3:00 P.M.
