Tag Archive for: Community Legal Aid

Guest columnist Jennifer Dieringer: Compassionate collaboration for our community

In 2021, following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, the city of Northampton answered the call to change traditional policing by establishing the Northampton Policing Review Commission. A key recommendation from the commission led to the establishment of the Division of Community Care (DCC), created under the umbrella of the city’s Department of Health and Human Services. Its creation was a bold effort to develop an alternative to a police response where community members’ needs are rooted in mental health, substance use, homelessness and social inequity. As the managing attorney of Community Legal Aid’s Hampshire County office, which partners and collaborates with DCC, I was delighted to attend its two-year anniversary celebration the end of last month.

Entering its third year, DCC has already done remarkable, trauma-informed work in collaboration with first responders, providers, and community partners. In the words of its director, Donaven Gibbs, DCC “…means compassion, it means showing up for people where they are with the right kind of help.” The DCC provides the help that Mr. Gibbs describes in a variety of ways. While DCC has achieved its presenting purpose, being fully integrated into 911 dispatch to provide unarmed emergency response to crises involving mental health and substance use, it helps in two other critical ways. DCC also engages in community outreach, working to establish trusting relationships with the homeless population so it can provide needed support. Finally, DCC welcomes people to its downtown headquarters, where community responders provide a warm and welcoming place for people seeking shelter and support. They assist walk-ins with paperwork needed to obtain benefits and services, and are instrumental in connecting people in need to city based agencies that provide critical services. Community Legal Aid (CLA) is one such agency.

Community Legal Aid is the non-profit civil legal aid program that provides free services to the low-income and elderly residents of western and central Massachusetts. In 2024, with funding from the city of Northampton through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), CLA and DCC formed a partnership wherein DCC can make direct referrals to CLA’s advocacy team, which specializes in a variety of civil legal areas, including housing, benefits, re-entry services, domestic violence, and disability law. After the referral is made, CLA provides expedited consultations, advice, or legal representation. This project allows for a streamlined approach for DCC’s visitors to access CLA services which they may not have even been aware of if not for DCC’s community responders. Through this collaboration, CLA is able to remedy legal problems, stabilize and secure housing, access critical state and federal benefits, and generally ameliorate the devastating effects that poverty, mental illness, and substance use can have on an individual.

Just one example of the collaborative work between DCC and CLA began in housing court, when a community responder introduced one of DCC’s visitors to me. I was there providing services to tenants facing eviction through CLA”s “lawyer for the day” program, and “Mr. B”, a low- income tenant using a wheelchair and suffering from a traumatic brain injury, was being evicted. After talking to Mr. B, it became clear that he had previously lost his Section 8 housing voucher, which caused his rent to skyrocket, leading to his non-payment eviction. CLA’s housing lawyer and case manager were able to restore Mr. B’s Section 8 voucher, secure funds to pay the back rent, and stabilize the tenancy. A critical piece of CLA’s success was the ability to work collaboratively with DCC’s community responder who had established a trusting relationship with Mr. B.

This is just one of the many success stories that have resulted from this collaboration. Since the project’s launch about a year and a half ago, DCC has referred 73 people facing a wide variety of legal challenges to CLA. CLA is grateful to the city of Northampton for this visionary and groundbreaking program. As Sen. Jo Comerford remarked at the ceremony, “This is not a path forward that many have taken. It is a path that is being built by cities like Northampton.” Community Legal Aid is thrilled to be working in tandem with DCC’s excellent, dedicated team of community responders, wishes the DCC a very happy anniversary, and looks forward to a future of collaborative efforts to help our community’s most vulnerable members.

Jennifer Dieringer is the managing attorney of the Hampshire and Franklin County offices of Community Legal Aid.

Family Law Attorney (Worcester)

Community Legal Aid (CLA) is the non-profit legal services program providing free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts. CLA has over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

 

CLA seeks an attorney to join its Family Law Unit. The attorney will be based in CLA’s Worcester office and will assist clients with cases involving family law matters including divorce, child support, visitation, and custody. It is anticipated that most of the attorney’s clients will be survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. The attorney will have significant client contact and will assume an active caseload while continuing to accept new cases. The attorney will also engage in community outreach and education and will work closely with community partners including domestic violence service providers. Some grant-reporting activities may be required.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: Recent law school graduates and more experienced attorneys are eligible to apply. Prior family law experience, particularly with survivors of domestic violence, strongly preferred. Excellent oral and written communication skills. A demonstrated dedication to social justice and commitment to working with low-income communities. Fluency in Spanish a plus.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $73,000, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CLA offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; malpractice insurance; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); student loan repayment assistance; and relocation reimbursement. CLA has a hybrid work environment and requires advocates to work in their assigned office at least three days per week.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website: https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CLA encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Fair Housing Attorney (Worcester)

Community Legal Aid (CLA) is the non-profit legal services program providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income and elderly clients in Central and Western Massachusetts. CLA has over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

 

CLA seeks a fair housing attorney to work in its Worcester office. The attorney will raise housing discrimination claims on behalf of tenants filing affirmative cases, defending against evictions, and seeking to access or maintain public and subsidized housing. The attorney will regularly participate in CLA’s housing court lawyer-for-the day program. The attorney will also assist in the preparation of periodic grant reports.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: Recent law school graduates and more experienced attorneys are eligible to apply. Experience in fair housing and/or landlord-tenant work strongly preferred, as is fluency in another language in addition to English. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to poverty law and social justice work. Experience working with diverse communities, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to work in a collaborative setting are important.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $73,000, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CLA offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; malpractice insurance; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); student loan repayment assistance; and relocation reimbursement. CLA has a hybrid work environment and requires advocates to work in their assigned office at least three days per week.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website: https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CLA encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Congressional cuts threaten civil legal aid for residents of central and western Massachusetts

Below is the full text of a Daily Hampshire Gazette article from 08/08/25.

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Full Article from Daily Hampshire Gazette

By JONATHAN MANNINA and RON FLAGG

Every year, through no fault of their own, millions of Americans face urgent civil (non-criminal) legal problems — like veterans facing homelessness, families torn apart by domestic violence, elders scammed out of their savings accounts, or workers cheated out of their wages. Criminal defendants are guaranteed an attorney by our legal system, but there is no such right for individuals fighting for their livelihoods or safety in civil court. To try and fill this gap, Congress funds 130 legal aid organizations across the country through the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), including Community Legal Aid in central and western Massachusetts.

Despite a dramatic increase in demand for civil legal aid across the country and in Massachusetts, the Trump Administration proposed eliminating LSC. Thankfully, both the House of Representatives and the Senate’s funding bills did not follow the Administration’s lead. The Senate voted to slightly increase LSC’s funding. However, the House proposed a drastic 46% cut for LSC.

Like other legal services programs, Community Legal Aid already turns away about 40% of income-eligible applicants because of a lack of resources. A 46% cut to LSC’s funding would have devastating effects on the residents of Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties.

These cuts would mean that more of our neighbors will struggle to navigate a legal system that was built for lawyers. Last year, attorneys at Community Legal Aid handled over 8,700 cases on behalf of our low-income and elderly neighbors, impacting over 20,000 people. The organization is a lifeline for working families, senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities, and survivors of domestic violence.

If Congress does not preserve the Legal Services Corporation’s funding in the federal budget, Community Legal Aid and 129 other similar programs across the country will lose key resources that enable us to effectively serve our communities. For example, when a fire left a dozen families facing imminent homelessness in Worcester, our team of advocates quickly stepped in to make sure that each family’s legal rights were protected and everyone remained housed.

The funding from LSC gives programs like Community Legal Aid the ability to meet these local needs. LSC’s calculator estimates how many people budget cuts will impact at district, state and national levels. Across Massachusetts, a 46% cut to LSC would mean that more than 24,000 fewer people would be able to access these legal services, including almost 6,000 children, over 1,500 older Americans (age 60+), more than 100 Veterans and over 700 domestic violence survivors.

One great aspect of civil legal aid that is often overlooked is that it benefits our local economy. Legal aid returns $7 for every $1 invested, on average. Legal services save taxpayers money by reducing the need for emergency services like shelters, medical care and law enforcement by addressing civil legal problems before they escalate and require intervention by costly public services. By solving or preventing legal problems, programs like Community Legal Aid help to reduce strain on the courts and on public services.

Above all else, Community Legal Aid prioritizes equal justice for all. We take on challenging cases for our neediest neighbors to ensure that everyone is given a fair opportunity to thrive in our communities. Funding from LSC is critical for Community Legal Aid to continue providing these crucial services, just as we have for 75 years.

Anyone wishing to apply for services is welcome to call Community Legal Aid’s intake line at: 855-CLA-LEGAL (855-252-5342) or apply online at: https://communitylegal.org/get-help.

Jonathan Mannina, Esq., is executive director of Community Legal Aid and Ron Flagg,president of the Legal Services Corporation. Community Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to the low-income and elderly residents of the five counties of central and western Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester), and maintains full-time offices in Worcester, Fitchburg, Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, and Pittsfield. Community Legal Aid works to assure fairness for all in the justice system, protecting homes, livelihoods, health and families. For more information on Community Legal Aid please visit www.communitylegal.org.

Legal Aid Staff Attorney: Housing

Community Legal Aid (CLA) is the non-profit legal services program providing free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts. CLA has over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and partnerships with our client communities.

 

CLA seeks a housing attorney to work in its Greenfield office. The core part of the attorney’s job will involve representing tenants in eviction cases and assisting tenants facing denials or terminations from public and subsidized housing programs. A portion of the attorney’s work will involve raising reasonable accommodation and other fair housing claims in eviction cases and subsidy denial and termination hearings. The attorney may also be involved in the litigation of affirmative fair housing cases, depending on the needs of the organization. The attorney will regularly participate in a Housing Court lawyer-for-the-day program. The attorney will have significant client contact and will engage in community outreach and education, and will be involved in some grant-reporting activities.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: Recent law school graduates and more experienced attorneys are eligible to apply. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to poverty law and social justice work. Experience working with diverse communities, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to work in a collaborative setting are important. Experience in landlord-tenant work and/or fair housing work is preferred, as is fluency in Spanish.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $73,000, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CLA offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; malpractice insurance; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); loan repayment assistance; and relocation reimbursement. CLA has a hybrid work environment and requires advocates to work in their assigned office at least three days per week.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website at https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CLA encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Housing Attorney (Springfield)

Springfield, MA

Central West Justice Center (CWJC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Community Legal Aid (CLA), seeks a staff attorney to work in its Springfield office. Together, CWJC and CLA have over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices in central and western Massachusetts. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

The attorney will represent tenants in eviction cases, tenants facing denials or terminations from public and subsidized housing programs, and families appealing denials or terminations from the state’s Emergency Assistance homeless shelter program. The attorney will regularly participate in a Housing Court lawyer-for-the day program. The attorney will have significant client contact and will engage in community outreach and education, and may be involved in some grant-reporting activities.

QUALIFICATIONS: Third-year law students, recent law school graduates, and more experienced attorneys are eligible to apply. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to poverty law and social justice work. Experience working with diverse communities, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to work in a collaborative setting are important. Experience in landlord-tenant work preferred, as is fluency in Spanish, Portuguese and/or Vietnamese. Administrative agency advocacy experience, including law school clinical experience, helpful.

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $73,000, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CWJC offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; malpractice insurance; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); law school loan repayment assistance; and relocation reimbursement. CWJC has a hybrid work environment and requires advocates to work in their assigned office at least three days per week.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online. Alternatively, you can mail your application to Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

CWJC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CWJC encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

My Turn: Keeping families intact takes advocacy, resources

Below is the full text of a Greenfield Recorder article from 06/24/25 on Community Legal Aid’s Family Preservation Project.

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Full Article from Greenfield Recorder

By Kayla Baillargeon

Last year, I joined local non-profit Community Legal Aid as a parent advocate for the organization’s Family Preservation Project, an innovative initiative which provides legal support to families who are involved with the Department of Children & Families (DCF) for poverty-related reasons rather than issues of abuse or neglect.

Across our country, traumatic family separations are used to address problems, such as housing instability, that would better be solved by connecting families with support and resources. According to Human Rights Watch, every three minutes a child is removed from their home and placed in the foster care system and one in three children in the United States will be part of a child welfare investigation by age 18. Many of the parents who lose custody of their children had been foster children themselves.

The goal of Community Legal Aid’s Family Preservation Project is to prevent a child’s unnecessary removal from the home. Our team, which also includes an attorney and a case manager, works collaboratively with DCF to refine and reduce the scope of DCF’s concerns while helping families overcome problems such as housing instability and financial insecurity, which are often the reason that DCF becomes involved with a family. As a parent advocate, my role is to engage in ongoing communications with DCF, empower parents, and develop a trusting relationship with families.

My passion for this work was born out of my own experience with DCF.

My story began in early 2016, when my three young children were removed from my home. That began a five-year journey to reunite my family. Through the long, complicated, and invasive process of proving myself to be a worthy parent, there were people who provided me with support, guidance, and advocacy, and helped me learn to successfully advocate for myself and my children. None of them, however, had been in my shoes. None had felt the fear, shame, and embarrassment that I had felt about having my children taken from my custody. None knew how hard it was to see my own children in the homes of strangers, or to maintain a strong relationship with my children when DCF reduced my family time. None understood how all-consuming the process could be, and how at times it became a struggle to continue. At the time, I wished I had someone by my side who understood all these things. Now, I want to be that person for others, and that is why I am a parent advocate.

With the support of my partner and my church community, and with faith in myself, I was finally able to reunite with my kids. Each one has been affected differently by our separation. We each continue to heal in different ways, and my kids have begun to thrive in their own unique ways. Some of my healing has been to use my experience to help others, which I am proud to do.

June is Family Unification Month, a time when we honor the families who have been able to reunify. It also serves to bring attention to the importance of preventing removals and separations whenever possible and keeping families intact through advocacy, supports, and services. Celebrating family unification means honoring parents and their communities of support who fight tirelessly every day to keep their families intact.

To learn more about Community Legal Aid’s Family Preservation Project, or to see if you are eligible for help, visit www.communitylegal.org

Intake Paralegal (Immigration Law) – CWJC

Central West Justice Center (CWJC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Community Legal Aid (CLA). Together, these two programs have over 180 staff providing a full range of civil legal services to the low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts. CWJC’s core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

CWJC seeks an intake paralegal to work in its immigration law unit, which focuses on assisting clients with humanitarian immigration matters including VAWA petitions, U visas, T visas, SIJS, and asylum claims. Under the direction of CWJC attorneys, the intake paralegal will interview prospective clients; assess client eligibility; gather client documents and evidence in support of clients’ claims to relief; record client information using CWJC’s computerized record-keeping system; attend and participate in scheduled unit meetings; assist attorneys with client communications, including providing Spanish-English interpretation and translation; and, when appropriate, provide advice or make referrals to other resources. The intake paralegal will be based in CWJC’s Springfield office.

QUALIFICATIONS:

· Must be fluent in English and Spanish.

· College degree and/or paralegal certificate preferred.

· Capacity to identify and analyze legal and other problems.

· Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment where clients often need immediate support.

· The ability to work cooperatively in a team is essential.

· A demonstrated sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse backgrounds, and commitment to working with low-income communities.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $53,140, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CWJC offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); and relocation reimbursement. CWJC has a hybrid workplace and requires staff to work at least three days per week in their assigned office.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website at: https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application to Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CWJC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CWJC encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Receptionist, Fitchburg – CLA

Community Legal Aid (CLA) is the non-profit legal services program providing free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of central and western Massachusetts. CLA has over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

 

CLA seeks a full-time receptionist who will provide support for the staff in its Fitchburg office. The receptionist will work with a team of individuals dedicated to providing free, high-quality legal services to low-income and elderly clients. Duties include answering telephone calls, greeting visitors, screening clients, data entry, filing, and other clerical tasks. The receptionist will also interpret and translate for Spanish-speaking clients. The work hours for this position are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: The individual must be bilingual in English and Spanish. Strong client service orientation and ability to multi-task and work under pressure required. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated concern for and commitment to the goals of legal services and to helping low-income people, and will have prior experience as a receptionist or secretary in a nonprofit setting.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $46,969, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CLA offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); and relocation stipend.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application to Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CLA encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Housing Attorney – CWJC

Central West Justice Center (CWJC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Community Legal Aid (CLA), seeks a staff attorney to work in its Springfield office. Together, CWJC and CLA have over 180 dedicated, talented staff working across multiple offices in central and western Massachusetts. Our core work includes effective client-centered advocacy and robust outreach to and partnerships with our client communities.

 

The attorney will represent tenants in eviction cases, tenants facing denials or terminations from public and subsidized housing programs, and families appealing denials or terminations from the state’s Emergency Assistance homeless shelter program. The attorney will regularly participate in a Housing Court lawyer-for-the day program. The attorney will have significant client contact and will engage in community outreach and education, and may be involved in some grant-reporting activities.

 

QUALIFICATIONS: Third-year law students, recent law school graduates, and more experienced attorneys are eligible to apply. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to poverty law and social justice work. Experience working with diverse communities, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to work in a collaborative setting are important. Experience in landlord-tenant work preferred, as is fluency in Spanish, Portuguese and/or Vietnamese. Administrative agency advocacy experience, including law school clinical experience, helpful.

 

COMPENSATION: The starting salary for this position is $73,000, which is based on a union scale and adjusted upward depending on experience. CWJC offers a very generous benefits package that includes 401(k) with employer-paid contribution; low-cost health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents; malpractice insurance; paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 12 sick days, and 13 holidays); law school loan repayment assistance; and relocation reimbursement. CWJC has a hybrid work environment and requires advocates to work in their assigned office at least three days per week.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit your resume and cover letter online on our website: https://communitylegal.isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Alternatively, you can mail your application Recruitment Coordinator, Community Legal Aid, 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.

 

CWJC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. CWJC encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.