The HELP-U Clinic Expands to Meet the Needs of Rochester City Seniors

The HELP-U Clinic Expands to Meet the Needs of Rochester City Seniors VLSP offers a wide variety of free legal clinics that shift and expand to meet the needs of our community.  The HELP-U clinic is just one example. Made possible by a grant from the City of Rochester, the program was originally created exclusively for senior residents of the Rochester Housing Authority (RHA) buildings.  But due to increasing demand, HELP-U expanded this year to offer clinics for low-income seniors in other community locations in the City of Rochester. HELP-U is the product of a partnership between VLSP and volunteer attorneys from Harter Secrest and Emery LLP and the Counsel’s Office at the University of Rochester.   Pro bono attorneys provide legal services consisting of preparing wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney, and other documents involved with estate planning.  The success of the clinic is owed, in large part, to Jon Webster, then the pro bono coordinator at the firm, and David Ferris, who trained and mentored attorneys who were new to this practice area.  Ben Mudrick has succeeded Jon Webster as the firm’s pro bono coordinator.

Pro bono attorneys Graham S. Leonard, Mark R. Wright, and
Andrew J. Anderson at Lifespan's Wolk Cafe at Sibley Square

During the past 3 years, clinics were held at Ridge Hudson, Parliament Arms, Danforth, Kennedy Tower, Lake Towers, Lena Gantt Estates, Lexington Court, and University Towers. That’s quite a list and a testament to the commitment made by the pro bono attorneys to appear wherever there is a need.  The expansion of the program allows the clinic to partner with other agencies serving the same clientele.  I witnessed one group of dedicated volunteer attorneys at a recent clinic held at Lifespan’s downtown location.

Pro bono attorney
David R. Ferris

I had the privilege of meeting David R. Ferris, Andrew J. Anderson, and Graham S. Leonard, attorneys with Harter Secrest and Emery, LLP, and Mark R. Wright, an attorney with the University of Rochester Counsel’s Office.  Each of them appeared at Lifespan with an armful of files and a room of clients. I spoke with two of the clients who gave glowing reviews of the service. One client said it was “a great service” and she hoped that there would be more advertising.  She tried to spread the word to her friends. When I asked another client about her impressions, she spoke at length saying: “I’m happy they came through...they were patient and understanding of the needs of senior citizens….the service was excellent, the representatives were great, and I’m very thankful for the services rendered.”  She went on to speak about how easy it is to put off doing what you need to do in order to avoid chaos later. She felt that estate planning definitely avoided a chaotic outcome.

Having joined VLSP recently, I’m still learning about the legal community in Rochester. Everyday I’m impressed by the care and compassion I see in attorneys like David, Andrew, Graham, and Mark. They donate their legal skills to people who are vulnerable and lack the means to prepare for the future. Their efforts empower their clients and bring peace of mind by ensuring their wishes are heard - even if they don’t have the means to hire a private attorney.  

VLSP celebrates the HELP-U clinic expansion and the volunteers who make it possible!

For more information on the HELP-U Project, contact VLSP Attorney Ann Williams at (585) 295-5708. 

By Catherine J. Palermo, Pro Bono Director

Pro bono attorney Emily Cohen goes above and beyond for people in need

VLSP would like to pay tribute to a young attorney in our community who has generously donated her time to pro bono representation; recruiting additional volunteers; and providing training for pro bono attorneys. Emily R. L. Cohen, an associate with Harter, Secrest, and Emery, LLP was admitted to the NYS bar in 2013. In just 5 years, Emily has become a mentor and by her service, demonstrates compassion and humility. In addition to her day job, she’s been a champion of low income individuals in need. Not only has she handled numerous pro bono cases herself, she created, organized, and presented a Matrimonial CLE to train others, at both the Rochester and Buffalo Harter, Secrest, and Emery LLP offices, to help meet the growing need for volunteers.

Anyone who has practiced matrimonial law knows that those cases are, more often than not, fraught with emotion. There can also be toxic relationships involved and clients can be at their most vulnerable. Emily accepted her first pro bono case with VLSP in January 2017 and has consistently made herself available for more. She’s handled a steady stream of cases and has become a keeper of the flame representing access to justice.

Attorney Cohen has also participated in many VLSP clinics, including the Helping Elders Law Project, which is a signature project of Harter, Secrest and Emery LLP. That clinic provides on-site legal help to seniors in Rochester Housing Authority buildings. Pro bono attorneys prepare wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney and other documents for low-income people who are elderly and/or disabled.

VLSP offers many similar clinics for low-income people on a variety of topics, including immigration and family preparedness; federal pro se assistance; family law; debt management; micro-entrepreneurial issues for small businesses; and issues affecting domestic violence victims, to name a few. The clinics are a great way to give back to our community, even if you only have a couple of hours to volunteer. But beware -- the rewarding experience might just be addictive! Emily Cohen is a shining example of how to catch the pro bono bug - thank you, Emily, for making Rochester an even better place to live!

Please visit https://www.vlsprochester.org/volunteer-opportunities for a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities. VLSP thanks our extensive family of volunteers for their continued support and commitment to providing exceptional legal services to low income community members.

Elder law outreach program gaining traction

In 2015, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP launched the HELP-U program in conjunction with the University of Rochester General Counsel Office to reach the underserved older population by focusing on residents in Rochester Housing Authority buildings. Since then information clinics have been held at Kennedy Tower, Ridge Hudson Towers, Lena Gantt Estates, Lexington Court, University Tower, Lake Tower, Keeler Park Apartments, and Danforth Towers.

“VLSP has offered Wills Clinics in the past, but this outreach program has more potential to reach clients in need by bringing information into the community where many of the eligible clients live,” noted Ann Williams, VLSP staff attorney.

Jon O. Webster

Jon O. Webster, pro bono coordinator at HS&E, was instrumental in establishing this program to focus on the area’s underserved older population. Webster enlisted colleague David Ferris, an experienced elder law attorney, to mentor volunteer attorneys who don’t regularly work with wills, health care proxies, and powers of attorney.

For any specific location, an information clinic is first held to advise residents on the purpose and need for a will, health care proxy, or other end-of-life documents.   A second clinic is scheduled a couple weeks after that to provide one-on-one guidance for those interested.   There is no charge for the clinic or the preparation of documents that can provide a great deal of peace of mind and protection as residents live out their senior years.

“The second clinic is particularly enjoyable since we have already built a bond with the clients, and they get to see their wishes put into writing,” said Webster.

From Harter Secrest & Emery, the following attorneys have participated in clinics to date:  Andrew J. Anderson, Emily R. L. Cohen, Jeffrey M. Donigan, Lucrecia Z. Knapp, Jacob C. Miller, Glenn R. Schieck, Scott Simpson, Edward (Ted) Townsend, Ferris and Webster. 

Due to the success of the local initiative, Harter Secrest & Emery initiated a similar pro bono program in conjunction with their Buffalo office, working with VLSP’s Erie County counterpart.

Shani Mitchell

Mark Wright from the UR General Counsel Office and Aileen Shinaman have also been involved, along with several volunteers from Rochester Black Bar Association (Shani Mitchell, Nicole Harris, and LaToya Lee) and the Attorney Emeritus Program (Gary VanGraafeiland, Seymour Weinstein and Barbara Heyne.)

Written by Nora A. Jones

By the numbers…

While most of us have been distracted by the single digit numbers on the thermometer to start 2018, the VLSP offices have been tracking the incoming donations for the 2017 Campaign for Justice. With 81% of goal recorded, the actual dollars needed to make the $270,000 goal hovers around $51,000.

Many of the individual donations to date are from lawyers who also donate pro bono hours to VLSP over the course of a year. Some of the dollars came from young attorneys who participated in this year’s Law Firm Challenge where 202 young attorneys raised $9,466.68 in a special 3 weeks competition in November. The average “under-40” donation was $46.86. Ten of the 20 participating law offices had 100% participation by the age-eligible attorneys.

“Now that we’ve had a break in the weather, I hope to see more activity around incoming pledges,” noted VLSP’s Executive Director Tina Foster.

The start of a new year is also a great time to review some of the civil legal services available through VLSP, the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, and LawNY -- which utilize the campaign dollars.

The 7 th Judicial District Court Help Center just marked its fifth anniversary, with annual traffic to this community resource hitting 3,600 last year. That surpassed the 2016 total of Help Center requests by 750.

The Family Law and Custody Clinic is held about 20 times a year, and VLSP staff attorney Mary Beth Conway typically places about 115 cases with volunteer attorneys each year—in addition to matters handled at the clinics.

The Federal Pro Se Assistance Program is committed to two sessions per week in the Rochester location as it approaches its one-year anniversary since launched last February. In the course of 2017, the PSAP served approximately 73 pro se litigants in Rochester’s U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

More numbers next time…. Let’s focus on the $50k needed to complete the Campaign for Justice.

Written by Nora A. Jones