For More Online

Federal Court Access Series

For over 17 years, Clearinghouse Review has annually published a review of Supreme Court decisions concerning access to the federal courts. In an effort to make the article more useful to advocates, we are making the federal court access article available free of charge in PDF format, and we have included hyperlinks to statutory authority and caselaw cited in the footnotes of the article. 

Podcasts

Perspectives on Health Care Reform is a series of interviews featuring advocates whose careers have contributed to the expansion of low-income clients' access to health care.

Webinars

The following webinar recordings are available for download in Windows Media Player format. Users will need the free Windows Media Player to view these recordings, plus the free GoToMeeting codec for Windows Media Player.

A Roadmap of the Affordable Health Care Act for Illinois: Health Reform for Children and Families
What will be the effect of the Affordable Care Act on low-income children and their families in Illinois? How will implementation choices being made now by Illinois policymakers affect this population's access to affordable comprehensive health insurance in the future? This webinar, given on June 30, 2011, covered past, present, and future changes to private insurance, Medicaid, and the new health insurance exchange marketplace that affect children and families.

Claiming Our Role as Human Rights Lawyers: How a Human Rights Framework Can Advance Our Advocacy
This webinar, held on June 21, 2011, explored how legal aid lawyers can apply a human rights framework to advance legal advocacy on behalf of the poor.

Accessible Assets, Part 2: Asset Development Strategies for People with Disabilities
People with disabilities have lower employment levels, report lower levels of savings, and are more likely to experience poverty than those without disabilities. The inextricable connection between disability and poverty requires special attention to developing policies and programs to give people the ability to save, acquire assets and permanently escape poverty. As a follow up to the first webinar on asset building and the disability community, this February 17, 2011, webinar, cohosted by the Abilities Fund, provided information on strategies and innovative programs that promote asset building and independence for individuals with disabilities.

The Next Frontier in Public Benefits: Electronic Benefits Cards
Over the past 20 years electronic deposit and electronic benefit transfers (EBT) have replaced paper checks for the delivery of public assistance benefits.  Recently, more and more states are transitioning away from EBTs and toward the use of electronic payment cards (EPCs) – i.e., prepaid Visa or MasterCard branded cards. This webinar discussed the differences between various benefit payment methods and investigated the implications of the new trend toward EPCs for low-income families.

Safeguarding the Rights of Vulnerable Populations During the Modernization of Electricity Distribution
At this webinar, conducted on December 1, 2010, Julie Nepveu, Senior Attorney with AARP Foundation Litigation, offered an introduction to smart grid technology and its impact on low-income. elderly, and disabled people. Dan Lesser, Senior Attorney at the Shriver Center also offered a brief update on pending climate change legislation at the federal level.

Legal Assistance for Low-Income LGBT Seniors
This webinar, co-sponsored by the Shriver Center and Legal Aid Association of California, covered strategies for effectively advocating on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients, including estate planning and other legal approaches to maximize relationship recognition and family protection for LGBT clients.

Alternative Credit Reporting
Access to credit is a fundamental way families build assets and wealth. But is the current credit reporting system fair and transparent? Will including a more diverse range of data in these reports help bring the approximately 70 million people without a credit file or with a thin file into the credit mainstream? Or will expanding the use of utility, telecommunication and other data, both on-time and late payments, in the existing system lower credit scores and harm low income families? This webinar discussed the reporting of alternative credit data, the type of data that is currently reported and to whom, and the impact of such reporting on low and moderate income families.

Universal Retirement Accounts
At this webinar, which will be held on Monday, Dec. 14, 2009, advocates will discuss the current issues surrounding the US retirement savings framework, workers' preparedness for retirement, and the statistics supporting the need for a Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts (UVRA) program for low and middle-income individuals. An overview of UVRA models will be presented, including, various possible UVRA program components. There will also be a discussion of federal and state legislative proposals for the design of UVRA programs. Representatives from organizations that are currently advocating for UVRAs will share information with participants and answer questions.

Asset Building and the Disability Community
This webinar, held on November 11, 2009, offered information on how asset building tools can be effectively used to increase the financial stability and independence of individuals with disabilities.

Integrating Asset Building Opportunities into Domestic Violence Advocacy
At this webinar, held on October 26, 2009, advocates discussed how a comprehensive financial education curriculum, an Individual Development Account Program, and an affordable, mainstream financial product can provide survivors of domestic violence with opportunities to build financial self-sufficiency while also helping to increase their self-esteem and aspirations about the future

Using Social Media to Network with Other Advocates and Promote Your Work
On Tuesday, October 13, 2009 the Editorial Team of Clearinghouse Review hosted a webinar on social media. The webinar was presented by Matthew Burnett and Kate Bladow, authors of an article on social media and legal aid advocates that was featured in the July-August issue of Clearinghouse Review.

Helping Low-Income Tenants Avoid Post-Foreclosure Eviction
On October 2, 2008, the Editorial Team of Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, sponsored a webinar on tenants and foreclosure. The archive of the webinar, along with links to helpful resources, is available here.

Fighting Foreclosure Through Legal Aid-Community Organization Partnerships
This webinar, conducted on June 23, 2009, covered initiatives undertaken in Philadelphia and Los Angeles by legal aid advocates in partnership with community organizations to combat foreclosure of low-income residents' homes.

Manuals/Practice Aids

Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys

Published in 2006, and updated in 2007, the web version of the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys includes hyperlinks to statutes, case documents, and model pleadings and is fully searchable by keyword.