August 2024

August has slipped away! And brought some exciting firsts for me as a lawyer.

At the end of last month, I represented a client facing an eviction suit, and I was able to get my client’s case dismissed. While I’ve had other eviction cases dismissed, this was my first where the arguments and judge’s decision happened in real time and not via written motions. I only had a couple days to prepare for the hearing, so it was exciting to move quickly through interviewing the client, arguing at the hearing, getting the case dismissed, and closing the case. The client was very grateful and happy to have legal counsel.

Another enthusing first for me this month has been drafting a full civil complaint from scratch. We are assisting a client who has dealt with some terrible housing conditions, including years of no heat and no hot water. We are trying to get him compensation for everything he has been through at his apartment. It has been very rewarding to spend so much time interviewing one client and learning the details of their story. This is partially because, as I learn more about our client and the harms they have suffered, I also get to learn about other ways we might be able to help them.

While working on this case and my other housing cases, I have learned about additional ways we can assist clients dealing with housing conditions—suing a landlord or property management company for damages is only one of them. We can also assist by helping clients file a claim in Housing Conditions Calendar Court, where a judge can order a property owner to make necessary repairs to the property. When the conditions are particularly egregious, we can also file a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), where the court can order the property owner to make repairs or adjustments immediately. I know my colleagues have been working hard on these issues. One colleague even went to a client’s home shortly before a TRO hearing to demonstrate that the air conditioning still wasn’t working and needed to be fixed immediately.

I love working with such dedicated individuals and learning about my clients and how we might be able to help them. I am looking forward to celebrating my one-year anniversary at this fellowship next month!

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July 2024

At the end of June and beginning of July, I was able to help multiple clients with housing cases, and I received kind feedback from clients that bolstered my passion for helping D.C.’s low-income veterans.

The first day of July was a busy one, as it was the day the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) opened again. This is a great program that helps tenants who have fallen behind on their rent. If a client’s ERAP application is accepted, the program can often pay the entirety of a client’s past due rent. This helps clients stay in their homes and avoid evictions. If a client has a pending ERAP application, it also pauses all proceedings in their case. This often allows clients an opportunity to catch up on rent or move out before their case proceeds with eviction.

I helped three clients with their ERAP applications. On the day the ERAP portal opened, it showed unprecedented wait times. At one point, the portal indicated that wait times to log on and submit applications would be more than a day. Because I had all the information required for my clients’ applications, I was able to tell them that they could go home, that I would call them when they could enter the portal, and that I could fill out the applications with them over the phone. My clients were very relieved that they did not have to sit in our office for a day waiting for ERAP to open! In the end, the applications opened after an hour—neither my clients nor I had a wait too long. While helping my clients navigate these wait times working on their applications was relatively easy for me to do, it was a big help to my clients. It was a reminder of how impactful all different types of aid can be.

I was also reminded of this impact in a thank-you email I received from a client’s relative. I helped the client fill out forms in a case they were filing. The client’s relative emailed me later and said that “many people contribute and volunteer their time to others in need, but it is rare to find an individual who goes the extra mile, particularly in assisting those who have been through traumatic experiences. She commended my “exceptional professionalism, dedication, and compassionate nature,” and added that my help was “making a significant difference” in my client’s life. It was a joy to realize that I could make such a difference in someone’s life without even entering a courtroom.

This month, my appreciation for all types of services we provide at Neighborhood Legal Services Program has grown, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

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June 2024

June brought more clients, hearings, and opportunities to learn, all of which made me grateful to be able to do this work.

In June, I had my first hearing with a housing subsidy provider. For years, the provider was paying a portion of our client’s rent. When they stopped, they did not give our client proper notice. Based on this, I argued that our client should have her voucher reinstated. The hearing took place at the provider’s office in front of the provider’s director and another employee. Advocating for my client based on legal arguments, but outside of a court, was a new experience for me. I worked on combining strong and compelling advocacy without adopting a too formal or combative tone. If we can get the client’s voucher reinstated, it will significantly decrease the amount of rent she has to pay and increase her housing and financial security. During and after the hearing, my client referred to me as “hope.” She says she knows my name is Alexa, but I have given her hope, so she will refer to me as “hope.” Whatever we can do for the client with our legal arguments, I think we have helped her already by listening to and advocating for her.

In addition to my work with clients, I was able to attend several excellent trainings this month. However, the highlight of my recent training schedule was a training I gave. On June 13, I gave a staff-wide presentation on issue-spotting in veterans’ cases. I discussed basic military structure, the discharge upgrade process, and provided an introduction to veterans’ benefits at the VA. Putting together the training allowed me to reflect on how much I have learned since starting in September.

Through the fellowship, I have also continued to work on my outreach efforts. For example, at the end of May, I got to speak at the monthly roundtable hosted by the Mayors’ Office for Veterans Affairs. I gave a presentation on the fellowship and the services NLSP provides. I look forward to continuing to build such partnerships to further support clients in the months to come!

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May 2024

This month has been a highlight of my fellowship. May brought a significant win and excellent training and outreach opportunities.

I was thrilled to have an eviction case dismissed at the beginning of the month. In this case, a client came to us on a February afternoon and had a hearing for sanctions scheduled for the next day. The court previously ordered her to pay her rent amount to the court registry, but the client was unable to make those payments. The landlord asked for sanctions against her, which included striking her defenses from the case. The hearing was about this request. If the court had granted this request, the client would not have been able to bring up the issues about her apartment conditions for the remainder of the case. After the client came to Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP), I worked with my colleagues that afternoon and evening to interview the client, have her sign the required paperwork, and form a strategy for the hearing. At the hearing the next day, the judge struck the client’s jury demand, but not her defenses. This meant a trial on her eviction would be before a judge and not a jury. Because the client no longer had a jury demand, her trial was scheduled for May (giving us relatively little time to prepare for trial).

After the hearing on sanctions, I submitted a motion asking the court to dismiss the case because the property manager who filed for eviction the motion was not the current property manager—the manager who would be able to take possession of my client’s apartment. Later, I also filed a motion to bring my client’s subsidy provider into the case as a co-defendant. The court scheduled a hearing on my motion to dismiss the case in early May. The day of the hearing, I received notice from the court that the plaintiff dismissed the case.

This was a big win for me, and I was excited to call the client and tell her the case was dismissed. The landlord could attempt to evict the client again, but, if they do, the client will be in a much better position now than they were before. This also greatly extends the amount of time the client can stay in the apartment. I loved seeing how NLSP’s involvement in this case led to concrete and measurable benefits to the client.

In addition to the case dismissal, I also got to participate in an amazing training opportunity this May: the Washington Counsel of Lawyers Trial Advocacy Training. This was a two-day training that covered trial openings, direct examinations, cross examinations, and closings. Participants received lectures and demonstrations on these topics and got our own opportunities to practice.

While my case wins and training opportunities grow, so do my connections with those serving D.C.’s veteran community. For example, in March, April, and May, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs. There, I met other individuals working with and for D.C. veterans and learned about resources that can help my veteran clients. I look forward to growing these connections, continuing to take advantage of training opportunities, and getting more wins for my clients!

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April 2024

April and the end of March have been exciting and full of new clients!

Several of these new clients have had housing issues, and working on these cases has already been rewarding. For example, on April 1st, a client came into Neighborhood Legal Services Program’s office so we could apply for the D.C. Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) together. This was the first time I helped someone with an ERAP application, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. In the past, due to extreme need in D.C., the portal closed quickly, and not everyone who wanted to apply was able to do so. My client and I worked thoroughly and rapidly through the application, and we were both relieved when it was completed. I now have a better understanding of the application process, and I look forward to helping future clients with the application now that I have more experience.

As I gain more experience, like helping with ERAP applications, I can help clients faster and more efficiently with their housing and other legal issues. In another housing case, for instance, I provided advice to a client who received notice that her landlord was planning to sue her for eviction. I went over the notice and the ledger with the client and explained the court process to her. While speaking with her about her housing issues, I also discovered there was a credit and debt issue with which we could assist. She was grateful for this assistance, and, at the end of our meeting, she made my day by telling me she was glad I became a lawyer.

While helping clients like her is always the highlight of my month, I also got the chance to attend some excellent training this month. One standout was the Veterans Legal Assistance Conference & Training hosted by the University of Baltimore. At that conference, I attended sessions on VA benefits; updates on policy, regulations, and legislation impacting VA disability claims and appeals; and veteran-focused estate planning. Conference attendees were also treated

to a keynote address by General Janeen L. Birckhead. This training helped me understand how to better serve my veteran clients on a variety of topics, from VA benefits to working with wills and trusts.

I am looking forward to helping clients with these issues and more, in what I hope will be a busy and fulfilling May!

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March 2024

February and March brought excellent training and networking opportunities for me. A major highlight was the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA) conference in D.C. from March 7-9.

I was able to attend the conference based on the generosity of the William G. Smith Scholarship, which paid for my registration. For the first conference session, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held in-person oral arguments at the conference hotel. It was exciting to see top veterans’ advocates making their cases before the court. The second day, a session called “Controlling Your Case in the AMA” allowed me to understand some of the big differences between the appeals system the VA was using up until February 19, 2019 (the legacy system) and the appeals system the VA uses now (the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, or AMA).

On the last day of the conference, attendees were divided into small groups for workshop sessions. I attended workshops on the post 9/11 GI bill and VA-backed home loans, and the basics of service connection and traumatic brain injuries.

Throughout the conference, I connected with wonderful colleagues, from other scholarship recipients who were just starting their career in this field to well-established partners at veteran-focused law firms.

The NOVA conference was not the only opportunity I had to engage with veteran advocates this month. In late February, I attended the first D.C. Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs Roundtable of 2024. At the roundtable, I delivered a presentation on Neighborhood Legal Services Program and on my fellowship. I met other community members who are committed to helping D.C.’s veteran population, and I look forward to growing those relationships.

I also had the opportunity to attend training provided by the Social Law and the National Consumer Law Center, which began their series on consumer law with the “Debt Defense/ Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.” This training was particularly interesting to me, as it helped solidify some of the concepts I first began learning about when I attended the Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Chicago last October.

It was a busy month for training, outreach, and networking, but another highlight, as always, was the work I did with my veteran clients. I continued to work on housing cases, VA benefits, and discharge upgrades. My housing cases are particularly involved and engaging. I am working through the discovery process in two cases, and I am also engaged in settlement negotiations in one case. I was also recently assigned a criminal record sealing case, which I am eager to dive into.

I look forward to continuing this work and applying everything I learned at the NOVA conference to help D.C.’s veterans!

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February 2024

February and March brought excellent training and networking opportunities for me. A major highlight was the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA) conference in D.C. from March 7-9.

I was able to attend the conference based on the generosity of the William G. Smith Scholarship, which paid for my registration. For the first conference session, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held in-person oral arguments at the conference hotel. It was exciting to see top veterans’ advocates making their cases before the court. The second day, a session called “Controlling Your Case in the AMA” allowed me to understand some of the big differences between the appeals system the VA was using up until February 19, 2019 (the legacy system) and the appeals system the VA uses now (the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, or AMA).

On the last day of the conference, attendees were divided into small groups for workshop sessions. I attended workshops on the post 9/11 GI bill and VA-backed home loans, and the basics of service connection and traumatic brain injuries.

Throughout the conference, I connected with wonderful colleagues, from other scholarship recipients who were just starting their career in this field to well-established partners at veteran-focused law firms.

The NOVA conference was not the only opportunity I had to engage with veteran advocates this month. In late February, I attended the first D.C. Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs Roundtable of 2024. At the roundtable, I delivered a presentation on Neighborhood Legal Services Program and on my fellowship. I met other community members who are committed to helping D.C.’s veteran population, and I look forward to growing those relationships.

I also had the opportunity to attend training provided by the Social Law and the National Consumer Law Center, which began their series on consumer law with the “Debt Defense/ Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.” This training was particularly interesting to me, as it helped solidify some of the concepts I first began learning about when I attended the Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Chicago last October.

It was a busy month for training, outreach, and networking, but another highlight, as always, was the work I did with my veteran clients. I continued to work on housing cases, VA benefits, and discharge upgrades. My housing cases are particularly involved and engaging. I am working through the discovery process in two cases, and I am also engaged in settlement negotiations in one case. I was also recently assigned a criminal record sealing case, which I am eager to dive into.

I look forward to continuing this work and applying everything I learned at the NOVA conference to help D.C.’s veterans!

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January 2024

The beginning of the new year included an exciting success story for me—one of the first of my career.

At the end of December, I started working with a client who had an issue with student loans. The client had over fifty-thousand dollars in student loans, and the loans had been in default for several years. In January, after meeting with her and helping her get information on the status and amount of her loans, I helped enroll her in the Fresh Start program. This is one of the programs that began at the end of the COVID-19 payment pause. It helps borrowers get defaulted loans back in good standing. I helped the client sign up for this program online; it took about five minutes. After she put in the relevant information, she got a notification that she was enrolled in the program and that her loans were out of default. It was a wonderful win for both of us. As part of enrolling in Fresh Start, I also helped her apply for an income-driven repayment plan (IDR). With her loans out of default and an IDR plan that allows her to make consistent and affordable payments, her loans could be forgiven one day. It will be some time before that happens, but hopefully, in the meantime, she won’t have to worry about how to move forward with her student loans or have the department of education start taking money from any public benefits she might receive.

This win made me excited to help more clients with student loan debt. There are a lot of options to get help with student loan debt, most of which I did not know about before my fellowship, and some of which I have utilized myself to help with my own student loans. I am excited to keep looking for clients who have concerns about student loans and help them.

In January, I also attended a Veterans Consortium Clinic and a Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP) library clinic. I learned about a variety of issues facing veterans and other community members, from employment law issues to criminal record sealing.

I also spoke to a few groups of law students about NLSP and my Equal Justice American (EJA) fellowship. NLSP hosted a group of law students from Notre Dame, and I spoke to law students at a Public Sector Recruiting Program virtual roundtable. I loved being able to share the variety of work I get to do for veterans through my EJA fellowship and the passion NLSP has for helping our clients.

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December 2023

December has flown by! It was filled with legal clinics and holiday planning.

I got to participate in planning the annual holiday party, which was a great success. I learned about my NLSP colleagues through our potluck and the dishes the brought, and I facilitated and wrote questions for our New Year’s Eve themed trivia.

The giving spirit was also in the air when I participated in the NLSP holiday gift drive. The NLSP development team did a wonderful job getting gift cards for our clients and toys for their children. Through their efforts, and the generous contribution of Covington & Burling LLP, I was able to make sure a client and the client’s child both received gift cards from the holiday gift drive.

A highlight of my month was shadowing a colleague at The Veterans Consortium Virtual Legal Clinics. Over the course of two clinics, we talked to five different veterans. We provided advice and referrals to veterans on a range of issues, from loans to employment issues.

I was also able to attend some excellent trainings this month. At the beginning of December, several of my colleagues and I attended the DC Bar Pro Bono Center Eviction Defense Training. The first day was a primer on eviction defense; we learned about procedure in Landlord Tenant Court, meditation, and negotiation. On the second day, we learned about arguments regarding emergency housing conditions in apartments, the process of Housing Conditions Calendar Court, sanctions, and eviction record sealing.

Later in December, I participated in the remote training from Practicing Law Institute titled “Racism in the Military: Advocating for Veterans Who Have Endured Race-Based Discrimination & Harassment in Service.” In that training, I learned tools to help advocate for veterans who have experienced racism in the military and how to help them access VA benefits.

There is a lot to look forward to in the new year, but I am particularly excited about participating in more clinics and helping my current and future veteran clients gain access to VA benefits.

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November 2023

This past month has been full of engaging training and networking opportunities. I am excited to continue advocating for veterans’ rights by assisting the clients I have and by taking on more clients.

At the end of October, I attended the Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Chicago with two of my colleagues from Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP). This was an amazing opportunity to learn about issues facing consumers and about how to help with various kinds of debt relief. It was also a great way to connect with peers. I got to meet attorneys doing incredible work from across the country, including an attorney from the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and a veterans’ attorney from Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.

At the conference, I attended a session titled “Bringing Cases to Help Military Consumers.” In that session, I learned about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Military Lending Act (MLA). I look forward to using my knowledge from this session and other sessions to help veteran consumers in the future.

Opportunities to learn about veterans’ rights continued in November. I attended two events centered around Veterans Day. The first was the Veterans Consortium “Veterans Day Training” on November ninth. Judge Grant C. Jaquith, of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, spoke about the structure of the court and gave attendees some practice tips. The second event, titled “Addressing Legal Issues Contributing to Veteran Homelessness,” was hosted by Legal Services Corporation. At that webinar, I learned that debt collection and discharge upgrades are some of the biggest issues facing veterans—a revelation that made me that much more grateful that I had attended the Consumer Rights Litigation Conference.

On November fourth, I was able to volunteer at the Washinton D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s annual Winterhaven Homeless Veteran Stand Down. This event provided food, clothes, and other services to veterans. I helped by guiding veterans to the barber shop the VA had set up for the event. Every volunteer I met there was warm and welcoming, and it was a joy to meet so many veterans and to thank them for their service.

Another highlight of my month was attending Jazz for Justice, an annual fundraiser held by NLSP. This was a particularly exciting year for me to be there, as the event was right before Veterans Day, and part of our fundraising this year focused on supporting NLSP’s veterans’ rights practice.

It is a practice that I am happy to be a part of. As I continue to attend trainings and connect with colleagues who are also advocating for veterans’ rights, my ability to accept and help clients continues to grow.

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October 2023

This month I have been able to complete and register for essential trainings, make plans for future outreach and networking, and use these skills to help Neighborhood Legal Services Program’s veteran clients.  

In late September, I received accreditation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which means I can now help veterans prepare and present claims for benefits. I am currently signed up for several trainings that will help me learn how to navigate these claims such as “The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program Training” and “Advocating for Veterans: The Basics on VA Benefits, Discharge Upgrades, and Veteran Cultural Competency,” which is offered by the Practicing Law Institute (PLI). I also completed an superb training called “Representing Clients Struggling with Mental Health” from PLI this month. The training taught me useful skills for interacting with, supporting, and representing clients struggling with various mental health issues, including PTSD and psychosis.  

In addition to completing these trainings, I am working on outreach to people and organizations involved in veterans’ rights work in Washington, D.C., and I am spreading the word about this excellent fellowship and the work I am doing with NLSP. As part of this networking, I will attend the National Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Chicago at the end of October. There, I will get an introduction to consumer law, attend sessions specific to veterans’ rights, and connect with other veterans’ advocates.  

I have also had the opportunity to work directly with a few veteran clients. For example, I am working on helping a client upgrade his military discharge status. I had my first client interview this month as well; being able to listen to and connect with a client in-person was a new and exciting experience for me. I also worked with two veterans on housing cases, one of which was quickly dismissed.  

I look forward to working with my current clients, getting new clients, and expanding my knowledge base and connections so that I can continue serving these and future clients.

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September 2023

I started my Equal Justice America Veterans’ Rights fellowship on September 4, 2023. It has been an exciting entry filled with engaging trainings, co-workers, and clients. I have already had the chance to research four different issues for four different veterans.

The first case I was involved with is coming to a close, but it provided me with an excellent learning opportunity—I did research on the process to help people apply for social security income or social security disability income (SSI/SSDI), and I got to listen in on a short meeting with the client. This assignment fortuitously came one day after I completed a DC Bar training on helping people obtain SSI and SSDI benefits, which certainly improved my understanding of the case.

A lot of my time has been dedicated to researching military discharges, veterans’ benefits, and administrative structures. I am performing research for one client who wants a military discharge upgrade, so I have been reading about the Naval Discharge Review Board, the Board for Correction of Naval Records, and the military discharge upgrade process more generally. I have applied for accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs to be able to further assist individuals on veteran specific issues. Additionally, I have performed research for some of our veteran clients or potential clients on general civil legal aid issues, like security deposit returns and criminal record sealing.

In the coming weeks, I will be reaching out to potential veteran clients and connecting with attorneys in the DC legal services community to let them know that Neighborhood Legal Services Program is starting its more veteran-focused practice once again.

I look forward to further researching these issues, working with these and other clients, and spreading the word about the fellowship!