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Volunteer Legal Service Program (VLSP)Volunteer Legal Service Program NewsBelow you will find articles and press releases about VLSP volunteers, clients and programs. To access VLSP news archives, click here. July 2011Baron Miller, July VLSP Volunteer of the Month
ACC Teams up with Bingham and VLSP On May 5, VLSP’s Community Organization Representation Project co-sponsored an Employment Law Legal Audit for nonprofit organizations along with the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (ACC) and Bingham McCutchen. VLSP’s Federal Pro Bono Project Expands BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) recently announced that the services of the Federal Pro Bono Project, a joint effort of VLSP and and the Northern District Court of California, have been expanded. June 2011Aaron Farmer, June VLSP Volunteer of the Month
May 2011VLSP Honors Outstanding Volunteers at Awards Ceremony April 2011Letter from VLSP Executive Director Tiela Chalmers Yes, Virginia, there ARE pro bono cases in Federal Court. You probably know that VLSP has many exciting opportunities available in landlord-tenant and family law. You might even know that we work with consumers, and offer chances for transactional attorneys to work with nonprofits. But did you know that you can also do pro bono work in U.S. District Court? For those of you whose practice is largely in Federal Court, or who are eager to get experience and exposure in that arena, this is the project for you! VLSP's Eviction Defense Project: Preventing Homelessness and Stabilizing Lives Unfortunately there are landlords in San Francisco taking advantage of low-income tenants who are not fully informed of their rights. Take for example the story of Spanish-speaking immigrants John and Maria Rodriguez.* Maria works at night and John lost his job and has been working sporadically on a contract basis. March 2011VLSP Offers Poverty Simulation Training Interested in learning about the challenges and situations that low-income people deal with day to day? VLSP offers a poverty simulation workshop for law firms and legal organizations that presents the chance to understand how to work more effectively with members of this community, and to consider critically the ways in which services are delivered to the low-income community. Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) Teams with Adult Protective Services to Keep Client Off the Streets Eighty-two year old Ms. B* was brought to HAP by Adult Protective Services (APS.) She had been scheduled for eviction the previous week, but the sheriff deputies had been so concerned about her that they put off the eviction and called APS. Katie Danielson, HAP’s Senior Supervising Attorney who did the intake interview was able to determine that Ms. B’s house had been foreclosed on and sold on the courthouse steps. HAP is Now Signing Up Firms for Summer Associate in Public Service Program Through this program, summer associates work with supervising attorneys on individual HAP cases throughout the summer, gaining experience in client interviewing, issue identification, negotiation, drafting of legal briefs and memoranda, discovery, and possible appearances in civil and/or administrative settings.
February 2011Volunteer Attorney Gives Client a Voice Against Relentless Opposing Counsel
January 2011A New Year, A New Committment to Volunteering with BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program 2011 is your chance to start anew and reaffirm your commitment to our community and to pro bono work. We at the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) would like to introduce ourselves to those of you who do not know us, and re-introduce ourselves to those of you who do.
VLSP Volunteer Secures Stable Guardianship for Child in Need Dee,* a grandmother in her fifties, desired to serve as guardian for her four year old granddaughter, Hy.* She contacted VLSP in dire need of legal assistance. The case was accepted by Robert Rathmell, a family law attorney with a solo practice. Having recently completed his guardianship training with VLSP, Rathmell was eager to put his new skills to practice.
December 2010Homeless Advocates Make a Difference This month, VLSP spotlights two people who are committed to making a difference: Laura Johnson and Jessica Stewart. Upon graduation, both Laura and Jessica enrolled into the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC), and are now living in San Francisco dedicating a year of service as legal and social service advocates at Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), a project of VLSP that provides legal and social services to San Franciscans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Read more. November 2010Letter from VLSP Executive Director Tiela Chalmers: Gideon, Gideon - Where Art Thou? As the gay marriage issue winds its way back and forth through the Courts and the polling booths, I try to explain to my kids that, within my lifetime, it was illegal for an interracial couple to marry in many places in America. They look at me as if either I am very old, or very crazy (or possibly both). They believe – as they should – that equality and fairness are fundamental to American law and culture. How is it possible that a nation founded on the principle that all people are created equal, could have suffered such discriminatory rules for so long? Read more.
Local Attorney Assists Low-Income Individuals in Getting Out of Debt
Appel has provided pro bono consumer advice to low-income clients at VLSP’s Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC) since 2001.
Volunteer Attorney Saves the Day for Elderly Client Who Faced Deplorable Housing Conditions
October 2010Volunteer Legal Services Program Recognized for Services to Homeless The San Francisco Local Homeless Coordinating Board (LHCB) recently selected VLSP’s Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) as the recipient of their September “Homeless Service Provider of the Month” award. LHCB honored HAP in mid-September.
Medical Clinic Forms Partnership with VLSP to Help Patients in Need
St. Mary’s Medical Center recently announced the launch of a new program that will provide legal assistance to patients at the Sister Mary Philippa Clinic through a partnership among the clinic, BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program, Latham & Watkins LLP, and the St. Mary’s Foundation.
September 2010Volunteer Interpreter Gives Client Their Voice Jorge Galan, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, is a dedicated volunteer with VLSP’s Interpreter Project. He has lived in the Bay Area for 17 years and is a graduate of Stanford University. Jorge is currently preparing to be a court certified interpreter.
O' Richard Daniels* is a 37-year old man living in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Suffering from depression and chronic pain, he was being evicted from his home for alleged noise disturbances. After initial intake at VLSP’s Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), his case was assigned to two O’Melveny and Myers (OMM) summer associates.
VLSP was recently awarded $10,000 at the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)’s Stewardship Awards Reception. VLSP, along with five other local organizations, received recognition from the ACC for its work delivering vital legal services to the Bay Area community.
August 2010
The General Counsel of a corporation and a partner at a large law firm walk into a bar. No, this is not the beginning of a joke – it’s actually the beginning of a powerful force for good. Increasingly, in-house counsel are eager to do pro bono work, and to do it in partnership with the attorneys to whom they send significant paying business...
VLSP Executive Director Goes Back to School VLSP Executive Director Tiela Chalmers recently returned from Harvard Business School, where she spent one week at an intensive training program for leaders of nonprofits. The program, entitled Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management, is conducted once a year by members of the HBS faculty, and provides the opportunity for senior executives to examine their mission and develop new strategies for the changing economy.
Medical Clinic Partners with VLSP St. Mary’s Medical Center today announced the launch of a new program that will provide legal assistance to patients at the Sister Mary Philippa Clinic through a partnership among the clinic, the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) of The Bar Association of San Francisco, the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, and the St. Mary’s Foundation.
August Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Edward Gould
Dr. Gould was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut and moved to Los Angeles during World War II. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA, completing his PhD in Psychology in 1965.
VLSP Bike-a-Thon Raises $18,000
July 2010July Volunteer Spotlight: CJ Kingsley
VLSP's Housing Negotiation Project Wins National Award
June 2010June Volunteer Spotlight: Eric Casher
Each quarter, I’ll talk about something different – clients, volunteering, what it takes to set up a project – maybe even give you a little window into what it takes to keep an organization like this going.
May 2010VLSP Celebrates Outstanding Volunteers at Annual Reception
Maria Mercedes* recently contacted VLSP for assistance in obtaining a dissolution of marriage from her verbally and physically abusive husband. VLSP connected her with Devon Caroselli, a real estate and corporate law transactional attorney at Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP.
March 2010
This month, VLSP is proud to announce that our Volunteer of the Month goes to two wonderful individuals at our Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP): Kaitlyn Quigley and Margaret Smith. Both are recent college graduates and have dedicated one year of service to HAP through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
February 2010
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Baron Miller is a solo practitioner and volunteer attorney with BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP), bringing to the program since 2011 a specialized focus on estate planning and administration for disabled persons, among other areas of expertise. But his history of pro bono duty stretches further back. Admitted to the bar in 1973, he had the opportunity to practice law with his father for many years. 
The Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) is thrilled to honor Aaron A. Farmer for this month’s volunteer spotlight. While Aaron has only been in California since May 2010, he has already made a remarkable impact at VLSP. By volunteering in the Consumer Debt Defense and Education Clinics, Eviction Defense Project, and Housing Negotiation Project, Aaron dedicated over 250 pro bono hours in 2010 alone. We managed to steal a few moments from Aaron’s busy schedule to find out a little about him and what persuades him to volunteer. 
The Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) celebrated its most exceptional volunteers at its annual Outstanding Volunteer Appreciation Party on March 22. More than 200 people were in attendance at the event, which was held at the Green Room of the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, California Supreme Court; Judge Katherine Feinstein, San Francisco Superior Court; Supervising Judge Patrick Mahoney, San Francisco Superior Court; and BASF President Priya Sanger were on hand to pass out the awards.
VLSP is pleased to recognize Diane Gentry as our volunteer of the month for February. Diane has been one of VLSP’s most active volunteers in the Family Law Project, having represented ten clients since 2009. VLSP’s Family Law Project assists low-income clients with family law issues such as divorce, custody of children, and domestic violence. 
BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) has helped hundreds of low-income individuals in the Bay Area deal with debilitating consumer debt and debt collection lawsuits thanks in large part to the efforts of San Francisco attorney Marie Appel.
Eighty-eight year old Mr. Smith* had his bags packed and was ready to move from his home of over 20 years. His landlord, who had bought his building at a foreclosure sale, had asked him to leave soon after taking ownership. When Smith refused, his landlord began restoring the other vacant units in the building, while failing to repair damage to Smith’s unit. During the period of restoration, he only had access to a bathroom in a vacant unit two floors above his, while raw sewage leaked into his apartment and mold began climbing up the walls. 
Melveny & Myers Summer Associates: Only Need 48 Hours to Get Favorable Result for HAP Client
VLSP Receives $10,000 Award from ACC
A Letter from VLSP Executive Director Tiela Chalmers - August
This month the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) is privileged to honor Dr. Edward Gould, a psychologist who has volunteered with VLSP for nearly 15 years.
VLSP’s Third Annual Bike/Walk-a-thon, held on Sunday June 13, was an enormous success. Many law firms put together teams of cyclists and walkers, and many brought spouses and kids as well. 
The Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) is happy to announce its July Volunteer of the Month, CJ Kingsley. While CJ has volunteered within many of VLSP’s projects including our Guardianship, Family Law, and Housing Negotiation Projects, we would like to highlight her work with the Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC). 
VLSP recently announced that it received the 2010 Pro Bono Best Practices Spotlight Award at the 2010 Equal Justice Conference for its Housing Negotiation Project (HNP). 
BASF’s Volunteer Legal Services Program celebrated its most exceptional volunteers at its annual Outstanding Volunteer Appreciation Party in late March. More than 180 people were in attendance at the event, which was held at the Green Room of the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. Chief Justice Ronald George, California Supreme Court, Presiding Judge James McBride, San Francisco Superior Court and Judge Patrick Mahoney, San Francisco Superior Court, Family Court, were on hand to pass out the awards. 
May Spotlight: Volunteer Attorney Helps Woman Escape Abusive Marriage
March Spotlight: Margaret Smith and Kaitlyn Quigley
February Volunteer Spotlight: Jennifer Kim Letulle
January Volunteer Spotlight: Jerome Schweich 
San Francisco's Most Vulnerable Need Help