When her husband went to prison for a drug conviction, Aracely faced losing their home. She could not afford the mortgage without his income. Determined to keep the house, Aracely negotiated a lower monthly payment on her own, but knew she would need professional assistance with a divorce, custody and child support. Her niece recommended the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. At her first visit, Aracely stressed that her main concern was to get financial help from her husband. He had been released from prison, but was not contributing any money to their mortgage payment, nor furnishing support for their children, leaving Aracely to be the sole provider and caretaker of their family.

Buhai staff attorneys understood that an order for support was needed quickly. Aracely’s earnings alone could not keep the house out of foreclosure. Since she was the only parent paying the mortgage and supporting their three kids, Buhai lawyers and volunteers fought for Aracely’s sole ownership of the home and full custody. Through diligent lawyering, Center attorneys persuaded the judge to grant her petition for divorce, and award Aracely full custody, child support and title to the house. She is now able to make the monthly payments, and continues to raise her kids in their childhood home. Aracely said she is blessed to have been a Center client because “in her community, women do not have money for a lawyer.”

As the demographics of Los Angeles have changed in the last 25 years, poor Latinas have become the largest single group of individuals aided by the Center. With funding help from the Los Angeles County and Supervisor Gloria Molina, the Center has increased its assistance to Latinas. The Center now has several neighborhood outreach sites to make first appointments more accessible, providing legal advice and consultations to hundreds of Latinas a year. Buhai staff members, many from the Latina communities themselves, work hard to provide a supportive, comfortable and familiar environment for women whose culture they understand. The Center has partnered with the Southern California School of Interpretation to provide volunteer translators for written and oral work, to further legal services to Latinas who speak only Spanish, and, because Center does not have citizenship requirements for services, the door is wide open for help.

*Name has been changed to protect our client.

Although her volunteer commitment was completed when she prepared the “Qualified Domestic Relations Order “ (QDRO) for Linda, firm lawyer Michelle McCarthy took her public service pledge to another level by offering to represent Linda in court. Successful in obtaining the court order to divide the pension, Michelle is saluted by the Center for her work providing the Center’s client with a new start and an end to her homelessness.

*Name has been changed to protect our client.

The Center staff recognized that this policy created a major conflict. Victims would be forced to choose between their safety and moving forward with their cases. Challenged by and determined to change this, Center staff attorneys and law student interns, Marshall Spiegel and Laura Zaragoza, researched the foundation for the Court’s policy. In a well-supported memorandum, written by Spiegel, presented to the Court, the Center discussed the current policy and advocated for it to end because it was not mandated by state statutes or local court rules. The Court was receptive to the Center’s position and rescinded its policy. Individuals may now use a post office box as their mailing address on all court documents. This strengthens the protections the Center can offer victims of domestic violence, and also improves access to the court for individuals who may transient or homeless.

*Name has been changed to protect our client.

With this funding, the Center developed the “Mothers Behind Bars Project” to educate incarcerated women at the LA County jail about dependency court, domestic violence, and paternity and child support cases. During the 3-day course lasting 90 minutes each session, the women learned through lecture and problem-solving exercises, and were encouraged to ask questions. At the end of each class, students received a certificate acknowledging their participation. When a student completed the 3-day course, she received a “graduation diploma.” Proud of their accomplishments, many women said it was their first positive educational achievement in several years. Some women presented their certificates in court as evidence of their new knowledge. More than 10,000 incarcerated women have participated in and completed the program.

The “Family Reunification and Reentry Project” was developed by the Center and staff attorney, Katie Ojeda Stewart. It was built upon the Center’s work with women who were formerly incarcerated and in need of legal services and education upon reentry. The goal of the program is to promote healthy family reunifications. Ms. Stewart offers direct legal services and teaches legal education workshops on general principles of custody and visitation to formerly incarcerated mothers. The Center helps connect women with other organizations that provide particular services, including, but not limited to, substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, reentry planning programs and drop-in centers.

Date:                    Saturday, May 4, 2013

Time:                    8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Location:             Loyola Law School

Accepting volunteer applications from:

-Attorneys
-Law Students and Graduates
-Certified Paralegals
-Spanish Language Fluent Interpreters

Registration deadline: Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Volunteers who attended past trainings have high praise for the event. One commented, “it is a great program with extremely informative and thorough materials that are unquestionably the best available.” Another said, “it’s especially helpful for practitioners looking to transition into family law.”

The training session is a tried and tested interactive program featuring knowledgeable and inspiring instructors. At the session, Center staff attorneys and experienced volunteers will lead trainees in default judgment workshops and small-group sessions. Trainees are provided with informative family law materials and have access to a panel of current volunteers who are available to answer questions throughout the day. Trainees can expect to receive their first case assignment upon completion of the training session that day.

The Harriett Buhai Center has a well-developed volunteer program that provided over 16,000 hours of legal services to low-income persons in 2012. The volunteer program is a great way for attorneys and paralegals to give back to their local community and help families in need. Remarked one volunteer, “being able to assist the clients was more rewarding than I can describe.” The program is also designed for attorneys wishing to re-enter the workforce or transition into a career in family law.

We hope to see you there!

Together, Nixon and Morra have nearly 60 years of legal experience, specifically in the areas of employee and retirement benefits. Each attorney shared her wealth of knowledge regarding the division of benefits upon divorce and death, and how allocation of benefits varies between each type of retirement plan. They dedicated a significant portion of the CLE to complex issues that arise during the preparation and execution of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and the effects federal law has on employee benefits in the private sector. Attendees found the CLE to be “very comprehensive” and remarked that Nixon and Morra are “amazing speakers who are very clear and helpful.”

Alongside the entertainment, children’s face painting and good food, attendees enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere and spirited conversations, and were reminded why they contribute to the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. A former client of the Center spoke of her traumatic past with an abusive husband and the desperation she endured until she found the Center. She never forgot the help she received through the Harriett Buhai Center and fifteen years later she honored her vow to return to volunteer (read the client’s story here). Her moving story was a testament to the power of change accomplished by donor support.

Supporters of the Buhai Brunch included longtime hosts Wasser, Cooperman & Carter and CMM, LLP, generous members of the family law community and friends of the Center. Former Harriett Buhai Center Board of Directors Vice President Laura Wasser emceed the event and Center co-founder Mablean Ephriam led a short live auction raising additional funds for the Center’s programs.

To read the article about Wasser featured in the Loyola Law Alumni Magazine, click here.

To read Barnett’s article in The Recorder, click here.