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.

Direct Legal Services - legal aid attorneys and paralegals, working from the NLS offices in the four-county region, provide advice and representation handled 10,740 cases last fiscal year. This representation benefited 23,004 individuals.

NLS operated "Debt Advice" Clinics in its Pittsburgh office other every Wednesday before the Covid-19 pandemic. 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, in collaboration with the Center for Women by the National Council of Jewish Women & Jewish Women’s Foundation has created the Women’s Impact Network to provide legal services, career services and personal support to women in sudden economic distress. Funding for the initiative comes from the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

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.

Providing legal assistance is for new applicants, those denied, and those facing redeterminations (when turning 18) or terminations of social security benefits. 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 of disability.