Probate Judge Kevin Candon likewise applauds the resource now available to proposed wards in involuntary guardianship
cases in his court: “The project has been invaluable to the Probate Division and has improved the quality of legal services available
to indigent persons; thanks to the Vermont
Bar Foundation and the attorneys participating in the project, proposed wards receive excellent legal services during proceedings when their liberty is at stake.”
Litigants who have benefitted from lawyers representing them in their cases are
the most appreciative of all. A woman who
had heard about the Rutland Pilot Project
from a friend called for help when she was
served with foreclosure papers. Project attorney Lisa Chalidze met with the woman,
talked with opposing counsel, and was able
to get the foreclosure action stayed and
then dismissed. Her delighted client was effusive with her praise. “Lisa was very knowledgeable and very helpful. She listened to
my questions and concerns and spoke in a
way that was very easy to understand the
law, etc. involved in my case. My end result was that I got to keep my home. Thank
you!!!!”
In another case, a tenant fell behind on
rent, but was surprised when the landlord
added a rent increase and a late fee to what
was owed. Law Line attorney Dave Santos
advised her of her rights and helped her
draft an answer, then passed the case to
Rutland Pilot Project attorney Scott Smith.
When the tenant decided to move, the
landlord tried to keep her security deposit
without good cause. Attorney Smith’s motion to dismiss and revised answer dissuaded the landlord, who refunded the bulk of
the tenant’s security deposit. The grateful
tenant said of her attorney: “He got part
of our security deposit back and I was very
pleased with the outcome.”
Participating attorneys appreciate the
opportunity to fulfill their responsibilities to
www.vtbar.org
provide legal assistance to low-income litigants in such an organized fashion. From
the flexible live and videotaped trainings,
to being connected with litigants in actual
cases with defined and immediate needs,
and to having the chance to share their expertise through both negotiating settlements and providing courtroom representation, participating attorneys are able to
help low-income litigants when they need
it the most. Attorney Scott Smith describes
some of the reasons for his involvement in
the project:
I’m happy to help when I get a call that
a litigant needs a lawyer for one of the
basic categories—whether it’s to appear in an eviction case, review a collections complaint, or meet with a proposed ward in an involuntary guardianship case—it’s a straight forward
enough case for most attorneys, but
is far beyond the experience of most
pro se litigants. The project has been
a great resource for connecting low-income persons in desperate need for an
attorney with attorneys who’ve committed to helping them through the
project.
Thanks in large part to the tireless efforts
of Mary Ashcroft (her title has changed from
“VBA Pro Bono Coordinator” to “VBA Legal Access Coordinator”), eight other county bar associations have applied for and
have received grant funding from the Vermont Bar Foundation to implement similar
legal assistance projects in Bennington, Addison, Windham, Windsor, Orange, Franklin, Grand Isle, and Washington Counties.
To date, over 1050 low-income Vermonters
have received legal assistance through the
various county bar legal assistance projects
funded by the Vermont Bar Foundation,
and participating attorneys have contributed over 1,300 hours of pro bono services through the projects. Such success is a
tremendous tribute to all of the key stakeholders in this endeavor, including VBA Legal Access Coordinator Mary Ashcroft, the
participating county bar legal services program attorneys, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Law Line, court staffs who publicize
the programs, trial judges who write letters
of support for the grants, the VBA Pro Bono
Committee, and ultimately all of the attorneys who maintain clients’ trust accounts
because it’s the interest earned on those
accounts that the Vermont Bar Foundation
distributes through grants that fund the
programs. We can all be proud of what has
been accomplished to date, and will hopefully be inspired to do even more to fulfill
our responsibility to provide legal services
to those unable to pay. The County Bar Legal Assistance Programs funded by the Vermont Bar Foundation go a long way to facilitate that laudable goal.
THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • WINTER 2016
County Bar Legal Assistance Project
other serious legal matters where legal help can make a big difference in
the outcome. The project provides important access to legal advice and representation for such persons, helping
the courts to operate as a level playing field, and provide fair and impartial
justice, and helping the persons find
constructive solutions to difficult problems. In addition, the project encourages and supports attorneys’ commitment