July 2022

As this is the last month of my fellowship, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my fellowship. Through these last two years I have learned so many different skills—such as how to use litigation as a tool for advocacy, the negotiating skills needed to mediate a settlement agreement, how to communicate with various stakeholders who have an interest in a veteran’s housing, and collaborate with community partners to ensure veterans acquire and maintain stable housing. Moreover, by developing these skills, I have advised and helped veterans in the Chicagoland area avoid eviction and secure housing. This work has been the most rewarding professional experience of my life and I am so thankful for to Equal Justice America and Legal Aid Chicago for this opportunity.

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June 2022

This month I had the opportunity to present to the Jesse Brown’s VA HUD-VASH caseworkers about tenants right. The HUD-VASH program is a federal subsidy that pairs case management services with a housing voucher that is administered by the local housing authority. The goal of the program is to provide Veterans with the social services they need so that they can acquire and maintain stable housing. Although the HUD-VASH program deals directly with housing, the HUD-VASH caseworkers specialize in the case management piece and are less familiar with the housing laws and ordinances that govern the vouchers. As a result, my presentation was meant to fill this gap in information and make the HUD-VASH caseworkers aware of Legal Aid Chicago’s ability to help veterans who are facing housing issues.

Through the presentation, several HUD-VASH caseworkers referred veterans to Legal Aid Chicago who needed legal assistance, and I was able to help some veterans avoid eviction. Experiences such as this show the importance of community partnerships and how they can help provide meaningful services to veterans who are facing housing insecurity. I hope that Legal Aid Chicago’s collaboration with organizations and programs like HUD-VASH grow further and that I can continue the valuable and rewarding work of keeping veterans housed.

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May 2022

Over the course of the last month, I have had the opportunity to work with Veterans who are facing eviction. Moreover, the majority of these Veterans are living in poverty. Through such work, I have realized that the successful representation of such Veterans also includes connecting them to resources that extend beyond the legal world— such as moving services, social workers, housing navigators, and healthcare providers. By connecting the Veterans I work with to these types of resources I can help ensure that they are put in the best position to secure stable housing for the long term.

For example, I recently represented a Veteran whose former landlord filed an eviction action against him even though the Veteran had vacated the unit with the exception of a few pieces of furniture and personal items. In turn, I represented the Veteran in the eviction action and was able to get the action dismissed on the condition that the Veteran remove his remaining possessions from the unit. The Veteran, however, was unable to afford moving services. As a result, I applied for grants that would cover moving services and the disposal of items that the Veteran no longer wanted to hold on to. In addition, I also helped the Veteran prepare for the move by meeting him at the unit to discard things that the moving service would not be able to help him with. I also drove the Veteran and some of his belongings to and from a storage unit. By taking these steps, I was able to ensure the Veteran avoided an eviction action and was treated with dignity throughout the process. Experiences like this makes me thankful for this fellowship and the opportunity to help vulnerable Veterans navigate housing insecurity and underscore the importance of this type of work.

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April 2022

Following the conclusion of my maternity leave, I have returned to Legal Aid Chicago and started working with Veterans who are navigating housing insecurity in entirely new ways due to the conclusion of the eviction moratorium. Specifically, because the eviction moratorium concluded, tenants are facing eviction at unprecedented rates in Cook County. As a result, a large portion of my work is advising Vets of their rights under local ordinances that govern the tenant/landlord relationship, negotiating settlement agreements for Vets who are facing eviction, and representing Vets in eviction actions in court.

Part and parcel of this type of work is connecting Vets to resources that will help them gain stable housing—such as connecting them to partners who will help them locate new housing, moving services, and emergency rental assistance programs. Although it can be challenging to balance every stakeholders’ interest in these situations, it is incredibly rewarding to successfully connect Vets with these resources so they can secure stable housing. I hope that I can continue to connect with the partner so that I can continue the valuable and rewarding work of keeping Vets securely housed.

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August 2021

Since July 2021, the Illinois Eviction Moratorium ended. As a result, under Illinois State Law, landlords can now commence eviction actions against tenants who were previously protected by the Moratorium—such as those who could not afford to pay their rent because their finances were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, in response to the resurgence of the COVID-19 Pandemic due to the Delta variant, the Federal Government issued a new Eviction Moratorium through the Center for Disease Control that is only pertinent to counties that are experiencing high transmission of the virus—like Cook County.

As a result, a large part of my work over the last month has been trying to understand: 1) how the Federal Eviction Moratorium can be applied to Legal Aid Chicago’s client; and 2) what the interaction between the Federal Eviction Moratorium and expired Illinois Eviction Moratorium will look like in the Cook County Court System. Specifically, in regard to the second issue, although the Federal Eviction Moratorium should take precedence over the Illinois Eviction Moratorium, it is possible Cook County judges will not recognize that the former will take precedence over the latter. In turn, Legal Aid Chicago has been working on crafting a singular response to the courts potential refusal to recognize the Federal Eviction Moratorium. I hope that Legal Aid Chicago’s work on this issue will provide our client with the legal protections they are entitled to and help them retain their housing during these unprecedented and ever changing times.

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July 2021

As the Eviction Moratorium—which the Governor announced would conclude at this month’s end—nears its expiration, Legal Aid Chicago has received more and more inquiries from tenants who are facing eviction or the termination of their subsidized housing. The majority of the tenants who reach out to Legal Aid Chicago have been heavily impacted by the pandemic financially, are unfamiliar with the eviction process, and unsure of what they are legally entitled to under the state and local ordinances that govern eviction and housing law. As a result, one of the primary goals of Legal Aid Chicago during these ever changing times is to keep our clients appraised of how their rights as tenants are being impacted by the conclusion of the eviction moratorium and how eviction court is operating as trials and in-person hearings are more frequently scheduled.

Because of the increasing number of people who facing housing insecurity, I have also been working with members of the Veterans’ Rights Project to reach out to and collaborate with organizations that target veteran homelessness and housing insecurity. For example, Legal Aid Chicago started hosting its in-person Community Resource and Referral Clinic a Featherfist—which is local SSVF—to be more accessible to veterans who may need help with housing or service connected benefits claims. By doing so, more veterans have learned of the housing services Legal Aid Chicago provides and know to reach out to us if they are experiencing housing security now or in the future. I hope that Legal Aid Chicago’s collaboration with these organizations grow further and that I can continue the valuable and rewarding work of keeping veterans housed.

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June 2021

Unfortunately, as the Pandemic nears its conclusion, Legal Aid Chicago continues to see more and more landlords initiate evictions. Moreover, Legal Aid Chicago also continues to see landlord’s attorneys use new and dubious strategies that undercut the protection the Illinois Eviction Moratorium provides tenants. In turn, Legal Aid Chicago and other legal aid providers have banned together to push back on these efforts by collaborating together in court responses and strategy. Legal Aid Chicago continues to try and utilize the Early Resolution Program (ERP) implemented by the Cook County Court system to our Client’s advantage by trying to reach a resolution before a case goes to trial. Consequently, a large part of my work continues to be dedicated to informing and navigating clients through the ERP process.

Furthermore, Legal Aid Chicago has also seen landlords increasingly attempt to evict their tenants through means that deviate from legally sanctioned avenues. For example, we have seen more and more landlords illegally lockout tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the Pandemic. As a result, Legal Aid Chicago continues to represent and advise tenants who are facing such actions of what their rights are under state and local ordinances and file petitions for injunctive relief for on such tenants when landlords are not responsive to negotiations that occur outside of the courts.

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May 2021

As the pandemic appears to near its conclusion, landlords have begun to initiate more evictions. Moreover, their attorneys have started to use new strategies that are meant to undercut the protection the Illinois Eviction Moratorium provides—such as striking tenant’s COVID Declarations that state his/her ability to pay her rent has been impacted by the pandemic or challenging a tenant’s right to a jury demand. As a result, Legal Aid Chicago and other legal aid providers have banned together to push back on these efforts by collaborating together in court responses and strategy. Furthermore, Legal Aid Chicago continues to try and utilize the Early Resolution Program (ERP) implemented by the Cook County Court system to our Client’s advantage by trying to reach a resolution before a case goes to trial. As a result, a large part of my work in this past month has been dedicated to informing and navigating clients about and through the ERP process.

In addition to this housing work, I have also helped clients file claims with the VA for service connected benefits. Although the claim process varies in accordance with that the client is trying to receive compensation for, each claim generally requires me to complete a thorough review of the client’s medical records, gather other evidence that supports the client’s claim, and write a letter that supports the client’s claim. I recently learned that one of my clients who was diagnosed with PTSD and previously granted partial compensation by the VA was awarded full compensation after an arduous application process. When I called the client to inform him of the good news, he was so happy and relieved. Hearing and sensing the change in his tone also brought me so much joy and reminded me how important Legal Aid Chicago’s work with veterans is.

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April 2021

I was able to apply the litigation skills I learned in law school and during the last 7 months at Legal Aid Chicago after a veteran’s essential utilities were illegally terminated by his landlord. Such actions are deemed an illegal lockout by both city ordinance and state law and entitles a tenant who has been impacted by an illegal lockout to injunctive relief and damages. After several failed attempts to work with the vets’ landlord to have his essential utilities restored, I filed a complaint and motion for temporary restraining order (TRO) and injunctive relief in the chancery division of cook county’s municipal courts. The judge that the case was assigned to agreed that my client’s situation constituted an emergency and agreed to hold a hearing on the issue on the following day. After receiving notice of the hearing, however, the landlord made the repairs needs to restore my client’s essential utilities and I withdrew my motion for and injunctive relief with leave to reinstate.

Through this experience, I was able to apply the writing skills I cultivated as a law student and young attorney by drafting several legal documents—such as a complaint, motion, and affidavits. Furthermore, I also attempted to employ the negotiation skills I learned in law school and through my time at Legal Aid Chicago to try and encourage the landlord to make the repairs without court enforcement. Although these efforts were unsuccessful, it was still a great learning opportunity. Lastly, this experience also clearly demonstrated how access to legal representation is so important. Specifically, without Legal Aid Chicago’s involvement in this manner, my client likely would have gone without his essential utilities for much longer because the landlord was resistant to making the necessary repairs despite pressure from other third parties who were advocating on my client’s behalf—such as the VA and SSVF organizations. In other words, legal action was the only things that motivated this landlord to address the problem. Furthermore, my client, like many people living in poverty, would not have been able to afford representation from a private provider. As a result, this experience really highlighted the importance of Legal Aid Chicago’s services.

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March 2021

As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues lead to new laws and regulations, Legal Aid Chicago continues to stay appraised of those changes so that we can continue to serve our clients who are facing housing insecurity and are unaware of the legal protections they are entitled to as a result of the pandemic. Some of those protections include: 1) the Early Resolution Program that requires parties to consider resolving their disputes via mediation; and 2) a new provision in the Illinois’ Governor’s Executive Order that allows a tenant who could not afford their rent because of the COVID-19 Pandemic to submit a declaration attesting to that fact after an eviction action is filed against them. Both changes have provided those who are facing housing insecurity additional layers of protection in the eviction process, but can be challenging to navigate without legal counsel. As a result, one of our primary goals is to ensure we help our clients traverse these modifications and maximize the benefits they provide for our clients.

In addition to these changes, I have also been working with members of the Veterans’ Rights Project to reach out to and collaborate with organizations that target veteran homelessness and housing insecurity. By doing so, such organizations have learned of the housing services Legal Aid Chicago provides and have referred veterans to Legal Aid Chicago if they are facing an issue we can help with. As a result, my caseload has expanded exponentially and I have been able to help more veterans challenge unjust eviction actions and stay in their homes. I hope that Legal Aid Chicago’s collaboration with these organizations grow further and that I can continue the valuable and rewarding work of keeping veterans housed.

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February 2021

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding eviction crisis, one of Legal Aid Chicago’s Housing Practice Group’s primary goals is providing people who are facing housing insecurity with the information they need to understand their rights under the Eviction Moratorium on the federal, state, and local level. Part and parcel of achieving this goal is keeping our clients who are facing eviction appraised of the changes in how eviction actions are unfolding because of COVID-19. In particular, if the case was filed after a specific date, the Cook County Courts have implemented a new program that requires parties to consider mediating their dispute as a means to facilitate reconciliation through negotiation instead of litigation.

In turn, part of our job at Legal Aid Chicago is: 1) helping our clients understand how the mediation process is different than that of litigation; and 2) how to navigate that difference. Furthermore, these changes have required me to educate myself about these differences and sharpen and apply my mediation skills, which are very different than those that are applied during litigation. In turn, the changes in eviction court resulting from COVID-19 has allowed me to help clients in new ways and learn legal tools that I may not have encountered otherwise. By honing such skills, I feel that I am developing a set of tools that allow me to advocate for my Clients in a holistic and better manner. As a result, I feel like I am doing a better job of helping veterans keep their housing, which continues to be the most rewarding work of my life.

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January 2021

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, an eviction crisis is unfolding. Specifically, because of the pandemic, millions and millions of people have lost their jobs and are facing housing insecurity as a result. In turn, one of the most urgent and important tasks Legal Aid Chicago is undertaking is informing people who are at risk of being evicted from their homes of their rights under the Eviction Moratorium on the federal, state, and local level. To do this, Legal Aid Chicago is working directly with clients who have been evicted in a manner that goes against the Eviction Moratorium and collaborating with partnership organizations that also combat housing insecurity and homelessness to help spread the word.

As a result, I have had the opportunity to help veterans who wrongly faced the threat of eviction from their homes maintain their housing by advocating for and representing them in negotiations and eviction court. Furthermore, with the help of my colleagues in Legal Aid Chicago’s Housing Practice Group and Veteran’s Rights Project, I have connected with organizations that target veteran homelessness and hosted presentations that outline the eviction process during normal and pandemic times. Helping veterans keep their housing is the most rewarding work of my life and I look forward to continuing this work so that I can help ensure veterans remain in their homes during this unprecedented time.

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December 2020

Over the course of the last month, Legal Aid Chicago began providing its new attorneys with trainings in the organizations various practice groups, which are the: Children and Families Practice Group, Consumer Practice Group, Immigration and Workers Rights Group, Housing Practice Group, and Public Benefits Group. Through these training, I have been able to learn about the broad range of legal services Legal Aid Chicago provides and how a client’s legal issues can often require the help of multiple practice groups for resolution. For example, if a client reaches out to Legal Aid Chicago after their landlord issues the client a notice to terminate their tenancy for nonpayment of rent and the client has accumulated a substantial amount of debt, the client’s best course of action to preserve their housing might be applying for bankruptcy. The Housing Practice Group, however, does not oversee bankruptcy proceedings; the Consumer Practice Group does. As a result, the resolution of the Client’s issue would require the help and partnership of the two practice groups.

In addition to learning about the many ways Legal Aid Chicago’s practice groups work together to serve our clients, the organization has also provided trainings regarding legal writing and civil procedure. Although I encountered these topics during my time in law school, learning about these topics in a context that is applicable to real people and issues has highlighted how important legal writing and civil procedure is to being a strong advocate for Legal Aid Chicago’s clients. In turn, I look forward to learning more about Legal Aid Chicago’s practice groups and honing my everyday lawyering skills to further serve and ensure my clients are receiving the best legal services possible.

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November 2020

Over the last month I have had the opportunity to apply what I learned in my first few weeks at Legal Aid Chicago by helping veterans who are facing housing insecurity or struggling to obtain the benefits to which they are entitled. By working with and advocating for these clients, I have had the chance to get to know these clients and learn about the challenges they face on day-to-day basis—such as navigating the bureaucratic worlds of the VA and subsidized housing and the emotional stress and mental health issues veterans are susceptible to because of their service.

The services Legal Aid Chicago provides veterans who are encountering such issues are more important than ever. Specifically, COVID-19 has only aggravated the challenges veterans who live in poverty face. The virus has made it more difficult to earn a living, which has impacted our clients ability to meet their monthly expenses—such as a paying their rent. Moreover, COVID-19 has made it more difficult for veterans to access the caseworkers and healthcare professionals who help ensure their mental and physical needs are met by the VA. In turn, I am thankful for Legal Aid Chicago and Equal Justice America for giving me the opportunity to advocate for veterans and make sure they are able to stay in their homes and receive the care they deserve during this extremely difficult time.

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October 2020

Although my time with Legal Aid Chicago as an EJA Fellow just began on October 13th, I have already learned so much about the organization and its services. Specifically, these first couple of weeks have been dedicated to trainings that introduced me to the internal procedures needed for the successful operation of Legal Aid Chicago, interviewing techniques that ensure our clients receive the legal services and emotional support they need to overcome the challenges that brought them to Legal Aid Chicago, and about the organization’s five unique practice groups. Through these trainings, I learned how Legal Aid Chicago provides people who are living in poverty a variety of essential services that would be difficult to access otherwise.

In addition to learning about Legal Aid Chicago on a general level, I also delved into understanding the practices and legal principles of the two groups my fellowship is partnered with, which is the Housing Practice Group and the Public Benefits Group. In particular, I have learned about the applicable housing subsidies and regulations that are pertinent to veterans. Moreover, I have learned about the different public benefits veterans are entitled to but often lack access to because of the complicated regulations governing them. I look forward to learning more about these areas by observing my more experienced colleagues in both groups and applying what I have observed to the needs of future clients.

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