Neighborhood Legal Services Association

The Elder Law Project is a special focus project that delivers civil legal services at no cost, with no means requirements, to older adults on such legal issues as advanced directives, guardianships, powers of attorney, wills, bankruptcies and debt collections.

Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLS) was established in 1966 as a non-profit, public interest law firm to provide civil legal assistance to poor and vulnerable residents of Allegheny (and later) Beaver, Butler and Lawrence Counties. Legal aid attorneys and paralegals, working within NLS's four-county service region, provide legal advice and/or full legal representation to low-income individuals on a variety of civil legal matters such as but not limited eviction, public benefit issues and unemployment benefit denials.

NLS operated "Debt Advice" Clinics in its Pittsburgh office other every Wednesday before the Covid-19 pandemic. These now occur virtually. Clients have the opportunity to hear a brief presentation on debt and family law issues and obtain legal advice from staff and volunteer attorneys. Reduced fee referrals are provided if a client requires additional assistance.

NLS has a long history of representation of clients in unemployment compensation cases and expanded this project to include other legal issues related to a client’s need to achieve a basic level of income e.g. job preservation and removal of barriers to employment by expungement of criminal records and child abuse allegations, and pursuing unpaid wage claims.

NLS provides advice on pardon issues; terminations of employment for medical leave usage or child support garnishment of wages; occupational license issues; non-compete agreement issues; access to income streams related to employment e.g., pensions and employer provided disability benefits; misclassification of workers as independent contractors; discrimination in employment; and at will discharges. As part of this project, NLS also provides outreach and community education to community groups and clients.

NLS received a special Disability Advocacy Project (DAP) Innovation Grant from the FISA Foundation, which will increase legal representation of children and age-18 redeterminations in social security disability cases. SSI is available to children who meet the disability requirements of the Social Security Administration (SSA) but have little income or resources. Part of the parents’ income is attributed to the child in determining whether the child is financially eligible for SSI. In order to qualify for benefits, the child must have a medical condition, or a combination of conditions, that result in “marked and severe functional limitations. This means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit the child’s activities. The child’s condition(s) must have been disabling, or be expected to be disabling, for at least 12 months. When the child turns 18 or graduates from secondary school, SSA will review their case to determine whether they are eligible under the adult standard.

The Victims of Crime Act, also known as VOCA, supports direct civil legal services for crime victims (those who have suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm as a result of a crime). Victims, their families, and communities often need help understanding and using the legal system to enforce their rights. The Justice for Crime Victims’ Project at NLS provides lawyers and social workers who step in and help victims resolve legal issues resulting from victimization. NLS helps in these civil matters such as custody problems, housing loss, domestic violence, identitying theft/fraud, physical/sexual assault, reviewing Power of Attorney spending, harassment, stalking, some name changes and revoking Powers of Attorney.