Too often, people who can’t afford a lawyer don’t get their needs met in the legal system.
Fortunately, there are resources out there that can help. In Syracuse, people below a certain income threshold who need an attorney for any reason, be it for a civil or a criminal matter, can turn to either the Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society or the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County.
“With less than one in five of the needs of low-income people being met by existing legal aid resources, the need is very great for organizations like HLAS and OnVLP,” said Jason Torreano, director of development for HLAS. “I love working at HLAS because I believe in our mission. I believe in defending our clients, collaborating with other entities we also provide something intangible yet critical — hope for a better tomorrow.”
HLAS, which was formed in 1949 to provide free legal assistance to low-income residents of Onondaga County, represents clients in civil matters, family court matters, parole revocation hearings, extradition hearings, appeals proceedings, foreclosure proceedings and more.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County (OnVLP), meanwhile, is a similar organization. A nonprofit, OnVLP’s free services are provided by volunteer attorneys and law students. Its programs include eviction defense, family law and divorce clinics, elder law and community-based legal supports, including veteran, LGBT and immigration law programs, and support to nonprofits.
“Our mission is to provide equal access to justice to those in need,” said Bethanie Hemingway, volunteer engagement and development manager. “Many people living in the economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Syracuse and Onondaga County have legal problems affecting the essentials of life and do not know how to approach a lawyer, are afraid to do so or are unable to do so during the regular business day. OnVLP provides these people with an opportunity to speak to a lawyer in a non-threatening environment after regular business hours or to contact an attorney via telephone when they are unable to go to clinics.”
As they have on other efforts in the past, the two organizations are now teaming up for the Justice Walk/Run, which will take place Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Onondaga Lake Park. The proceeds from the event will help fund a project called the CNY Immigration Collaborative, a joint effort of HLAS, OnVLP and Catholic Charities of Syracuse. The organization helps undocumented workers in the Syracuse area by providing them with free legal services as they seek to become legal citizens.
“Because Hiscock Legal Aid and Volunteer Lawyers Project already collaborate in so many ways, we figured a joint 5K event would be a great way to raise awareness about the work we are doing,” Hemingway said. “It is our hope this will be a fun, appealing event for all ages, families and individuals who support the work we do.”
Among that work is an effort to help undocumented immigrants gain legal status. According to the American Immigration Council and the Immigration Policy Center, the vast majority of immigrants would rather come to the United States through legal channels, but are unable to do so:
“Suggestions that immigrants who are in the United States illegally—numbering an estimated 11 million—should simply get in line miss the point: There is no line available for them and the ‘regular channels’ do not include them,” according to the American Immigration Council’s website. “If given a choice, opinion surveys of undocumented immigrants indicate that 98 percent would prefer to live and work legally in the United States and would do so if they could. Furthermore, a recent survey of Latino immigrants found that more than nine in 10 who have not naturalized said they would if they had the possibility.”
The site notes that most undocumented immigrants do not qualify for work visas, and the U.S. has heavy restrictions on green cards issued to family members and political and economic refugees. There’s also a huge backlog of people seeking legal entry into the country. As a result, immigrants trying to gain legal status can’t get it in a timely fashion, so many choose to enter the country illegally.
That’s where agencies like the CNY Immigration Collaborative come in. The project, which has received funding through the Allyn Foundation and the CNY Community Foundation, seeks to help undocumented immigrants apply for a variety of forms of immigration relief to grant them lawful status and allow them to work, attend college and become full participants in the community.
Torreano said helping these undocumented immigrants is critical to helping the community as a whole.
“It is important to support populations who live at the periphery of our society,” he said. “By working with undocumented workers, we assist hard-working people come out from the shadows to become fully contributing members of a society we all share.”
Right now, the program only has one full-time immigration attorney, based at HLAS. Funds from the Justice Walk/Run would add another full-time immigration attorney at HLAS, as well as a full-time pro bono coordinator at OnVLP and a full-time case manager at Catholic Charities.
“Together, the attorney, coordinator and case manager would provide holistic, wrap around services for some of our community’s most vulnerable yet resilient individuals, allowing people to emerge from the periphery of society and become fully contributing members of the community we all share,” Torreano said.
The Justice Walk/Run will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Willow Bay shelter at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool. The cost is $25 per participant. To register, visit firstgiving.com/hiscock/justicewalkrun. Donations can also be accepted at the same site. If you can’t attend but would like to volunteer for the Volunteer Lawyers Project, contact Hemingway at [email protected].
