2009-wc-slideshow

							       Celebrate

“Equal Access to Justice”
      ICLS’ Mission
    Inland Counties Legal Services
pursues justice and equality for low
income people through counsel,
advice, advocacy and community
education, treating all with dignity
and respect.
     ICLS Service Area
  Riverside & San Bernardino Counties
Geographically the largest and second largest counties in the country
equal to the size of Connecticut
                                  San Bernardino
                                      County
                                    20,052 sq. miles




                                     Riverside County
                                         7,207 sq. miles
   ICLS Branch Offices
  Riverside -Western, Southwest, Mid-County
      Indio – Coachella Valley low desert
      San Bernardino – Central Valley
      Rancho Cucamonga – West End
      Victorville – Mojave High Desert
 Both Counties: Housing Law Services Center –
Housing Hotline & Representation in Eviction Cases
         Client Outreach
ICLS collaborates with other stakeholders to
deliver legal services to the client community.
  † Senior Centers
  • Homeless Shelters
  † Domestic Violence Shelters
  • Center on Deafness of the
      Inland Empire
  † Rural Desert Outreach
California Commission on Access to Justice
 The California Commission on Access to
 Justice’s “Action Plan for Justice” report found
 that:
                  Since 1980…
 • State population increased 40%
 • Poverty increased 60%
 • 1 in every 5 children is poor - African
   American & Latino children are even poorer
 • 26% of state’s workers wages are below
   poverty
Free Private Attorney Help
 Riverside, Colton, Temecula, Indio, Hemet, San
Bernardino, Rialto, Victorville, Chino, Joshua Tree,
   and Twenty-nine Palms Marine Corps Base

   ICLS Private Attorney Involvement Program:
        Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino
Public Service Law Corporation of Riverside County
    Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association

Pro Bono Organizations are subgranted federal funds by the ICLS
 Board of Directors approved by the Legal Services Corporation
PUBLIC SERVICE LAW CORPORATION
         2009 Clinic Schedule
951-682-7968 Riverside Area 951-244-2920 Southwest County
              760-347-9456 Coachella Valley (Indio)
      Call for Eligibility Screening & Appointments - No Walk-Ins

  MONDAY & WEDNESDAY CIVIL CLINICS in Riverside
TUESDAY & THURSDAY FAMILY LAW CLINICS in Riverside

     FAMILY LAW CLINICS in Temecula (1-2 times monthly)

               COACHELLA VALLEY DESERT
                Walk-In or Call: 760-347-9456 in Indio

              GUARDIANSHIP CLINICS
          WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY in Riverside
              TUESDAY (monthly) in Hemet
               2nd & 4th FRIDAY in Indio
      INLAND EMPIRE
LATINO LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
       2009 Clinic Schedule
         Eligibility Screening & Appointments
  Call 951-369-3009 Walk-Ins First Come, First Served

                MONDAYS in Colton

           WEDNESDAYS in Riverside

      2nd THURSDAY MONTHLY in Ontario

            SMALL CLAIMS CLINIC
    3rd THURSDAY MONTHLY in Riverside

 LAST SATURDAY MONTHLY CLINIC in Riverside
     LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF
SAN BERNARDINO 2009 Clinic Schedule
              909-889-7328 or 1-889-889-7328 (toll free)
Focus: Family Law, Guardianships, Conservatorships, UD Answers &
                            Bankruptcy

                   San Bernardino Clinics:
               MONDAY/TUESDAY/THURSDAY
         WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON (appointment only)
                  1st MONDAY MONTHLY
         3rd WEDNESDAY EVENING (appointment only)

                  1st WEDNESDAY CLINIC in Rialto
             1st & 3rd TUESDAY CLINICS in Victorville
               2nd & 3rd MONDAY CLINICS in Chino
                2nd & 4th WEDNESDAY in Joshua Tree
         3rd WEDNESDAY in 29 Palms (appointment only)
  ICLS’ Family Law Access Partnership
          Program (FLAPP)
  Self-represented litigants, including
monolingual Spanish speaking, disabled
and illiterate persons, are assisted at the
 Riverside Family Law Court and at the
      Indio Larson Justice Center.
   Proyecto Ayuda Legal (PAL)
        San Bernardino County…
In collaboration with the San Bernardino County
  Superior Court, ICLS attorneys provide legal
  information to the general public and prepare
documents for qualified indigent persons at the
San Bernardino Central, Rancho Cucamonga and
    Victorville Courts, assisting all court users
    including monolingual Spanish speaking,
         illiterate and disabled persons.
 Banning Court Access Project
ICLS expanded “Access to Justice” to mid-county residents
in Riverside County by establishing the Banning Court
Access Project.

ICLS attorneys provide legal resources to self-represented
litigants one day a week. This service assists all court
consumers access the courts when they receive general legal
information. Indigent persons are helped with document
preparation.
ICLS’ Tenant &Landlord Assistance Project

 ICLS attorneys represent qualified indigent and
 elderly tenants and landlords in their eviction
 cases at:
    •Moreno Valley Court
    •San Bernardino
    •Rancho Cucamonga and
    •Victorville Courts.
             Consumers & Workers
        Legal Assistance Project (CWLAP)
ICLS provides legal advice, assistance and representation to
low income residents who are experiencing consumer and
employment legal problems.

ICLS also provides general legal information as well as
community legal education presentations.
Helping Victims of Domestic Violence
ICLS’ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCACY PROJECT
          OF THE INLAND EMPIRE

Attorneys interview clients at ICLS branch offices, shelters
and at “one-stop” Family Justice Centers and provide
comprehensive legal assistance, which can include attorney
representation in contested matters.

Funded by the State Bar of California Legal Services Trust
Fund Program with state “Equal Access” funds and by the
Legal Services Corporation.
  Legal Education and Advocacy
   For Homeless Persons (HUD)
ICLS reaches out to the homeless community
throughout San Bernardino County as a member
of the Homeless Coalition and in collaboration
with the Community Action Partnership of San
Bernardino County.

 Outreach intake at homeless shelters & centers
           Legal Services for Seniors

       ICLS provides legal services at senior centers throughout
           Riverside & San Bernardino Counties

              Riverside County Office on Aging
San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services
                 Legal Services Corporation
             Legal Services Trust Fund Program
Client Testimonials…
         Ms. Irna Key, a single mother with 7
children, is a Section 8 recipient who came to
ICLS to preserve her federally subsidized
housing benefits. Ms. Key had lived in the
same apartment for years and paid her rent to
the manager          who was her father.
Unbeknownst to the client , the manager never
deposited the rent money she paid into the
apartment’s bank account and absconded
with the rent money. An eviction lawsuit was
brought against Ms. Key , resulting in the loss
of Section 8 benefits.
ICLS defended the client and argued that without a court judgment, the
Housing Authority lacked legal grounds to terminate benefits. The Agency
reversed its decision and the housing benefits was restored.

With the restoration of federally subsidized housing benefits, Ms. Key and
her children remained in their home as an intact family household.
Client’s post-foreclosure eviction case was
dismissed when ICLS presented the Court
with a forbearance agreement agreed to
by the bank which allowed him to keep
his home as long as he continued making
the mortgage payments.




   Advocate: Eulalio Castellanos, Esq.
Ms. Keyshishyan Lusik, a senior citizen and Armenian immigrant, lives in the
Inland Empire with her adult son. She is a low-income citizen who depended
on federal Section 8 housing subsidy benefits to pay the rent. When the
benefits were terminated, the client and her family were on the brink of
eviction and homelessness.       The client, who has an extremely limited
command of English, completed the annual revenue form (as she had in
previous years) and failed to take into account a change in household income.
This mistake resulted in an accusation of “fraud” when she missed listing the
income of a family member.
Ms. Lusik applied for legal services at ICLS to be able to stay in the family
home and to have the Section 8 benefits restored. An ICLS advocate
represented her at two hearings and argued that she did not intentionally
misrepresent her income and that as a person with Limited English
Proficiency, she did not understand the documents and made a mistake.
ICLS’s advocacy resulted in the restoration of the housing benefits and no
eviction. Ms. Lusik said: “I am very thankful for Bill’s Assistance.”


   Advocate: William Peterson Paralegal
   Eulailo Castellanos, Managing Attorney
Ms. Maribel Escobar rented a room from her ex-husband but his girlfriend
would not let her use the kitchen. Lacking access to a kitchen, the client was
eligible for and received additional Social Security assistance. In January 2008,
the ex-husband could no longer afford to purchase food for Ms. Escobar and
allowed her to use the kitchen out of necessity. The Social Security
Administration contacted Ms. Escobar, asked questions by phone and then sent
her a filled out form to sign and return. Although Ms. Escobar had informed
the agency that she had temporary access to the kitchen, the completed form
she received had been filled out assuming permanent access .

Ms. Escobar did not read English and was unaware that the form she signed did
not correlate with the information she had given Social Security. As a result,
Ms. Escobar was charged with an overpayment of $2,940 which she could not
afford to repay.

 ICLS represented the client and was successful in obtaining a waiver of the
overpayment. As a result, the client ‘s check was not reduced and she was able
to pay for basic necessities.
Referred from an out of state legal services provider for help with a divorce
that had been filed in California, Ms. De Cima Belle Lugo was able to protect
her right to the community property acquired during the marriage.


“I am thankful to have been directed to ICLS from an out-of-state Legal Aid
Service.”
 ICLS helped this client clear an Unlawful Detainer report on his
 credit record and also assisted him with additional time to
 relocate to another residence.




“ It was a blessing to have
 someone with me in court
on my side.”


  Advocate: Sang Banh, Esq.
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:




        Amargosa Investment Company, LLC
   Special Thanks to Our Community Sponsors
                        Aflac, Graciela Lopez
                              Albertsons
               American Cancer Society, Leslie Lewis
                   Andre Rekte, Girardi and Keese
        Andrea Guevara, Concilio Child Development Center
                 Danny Morales, Dani’s Enterprises
                             Food 4 Less
               G.M. Color Nursery, Gonzalo Medrano
                 G/M Business Interiors, Judi Harvey
                 George S. Theios, Attorney at Law
                         Gourmet Detective
Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association, Inc., Enrique R. Acuna, Esq.
                Jazz/Classical Guitarist, Taylor Pluim
                             Soulpurpose
                        Wesbrook Landscape
Special Thanks to Our Silent Auction Donors:
AMERICAN EAGLE WINERY            LA DODGERS
AMY STUMP                        LEGOLAND
AURELIA WICK                     LEXIS NEXIS
BARBARA PURVIS                   MENIFEE LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
BRADFORD RENAISSANCE PORTRAITS   MIRACLE SPRINGS RESORT & SPA
BRINKER INTERNATIONAL            MISSION INN FOUNDATION
CASTLE PARK                      MISSION INN HOTEL
CHERRIE ORNELLAS                 MORONGO CASINO RESORT
CRUZ CUSTOM TAILORS              PALA CASIINO SPA RESORT
FIESTA VILLAGE                   RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES
FLORENCE MORENO                  RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY
GOURMET DETECTIVE                PLAYERS
GREEN RIVER GOLF CLUB            ROWLEY PORTRAITURE
IN-N-OUT                         SOULPURPOSE
JASON’S DELI                     THE QUEEN MARY


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