Philadelphia VIP

With eviction cases on the rise, VIP has reinstated its Tenant Defense Team. Designed for firms and individual attorneys interested in providing pro bono representation, the Tenant Defense Team comprises attorneys who select specific cases or days in Municipal Court where they can provide aid to a variety of landlord-tenant clients. Join VIP's Tenant Defense Team and receive coordination support and mentorship. For questions or to get started, please contact Vijaya Singh at: phillyvip.org/about-us/staff/

Promoting community economic development is at the heart of VIP's mission. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this work became increasingly critical. VIP gave us the assurance we needed to stay true to our mission and our values around social justice: providing aid to folks in our neighborhood at a greater risk of being displaced from their homes and community. - Lindsay Stolkey, Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together (GREAT) Organizer Read how VIP supports small businesses and nonprofits like GREAT https://buff.ly/3bUgxBx

America's debt crisis has reached new levels of severity, bringing with it an urgent need for free legal services. On June 29, join VIP and a panel of experienced trainers from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia for a virtual training about debt collection practice and procedure in Philadelphia’s Municipal Court and Court of Common Pleas. Support your neighbors in need; RSVP today!

We're #hiring! Don't forget to apply before June 4. VIP is recruiting two AmeriCorps VISTAs to help represent low-income Philadelphians facing eviction, and small business owners and local nonprofit leaders in need of legal aid. Help your neighbors in poverty get access to justice https://buff.ly/2QW8I72

We won! HUGE thanks to NBCUniversal Foundation and #ProjectInnovation for awarding Philadelphia VIP $45,000 to help solve a critical community problemfamily wealth retention in low-income communities. Learn more about #ProjectInnovation and the other winners here: https://bit.ly/3hIeXGr @Comcast @Telemundo 62

Help balance the scales! Support your low-income neighbors in need by supporting the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project (PEPP). Livestream testimony about PEPP and Right to Counsel funding happening NOW: https://phlcouncil.com/watch-city-council/

Keeping our neighbors safe and in their homes keeps us all healthy. Philadelphia VIP is asking PHLCouncil to #ProtectPhillyRenters by extending the Emergency Housing Protection Act in committee on Oct 21.

Have you ever wondered why a pro bono client spent their money in a particular way? Have you struggled to understand decisions made by a self-represented litigant on the other side? On October 15, the Philadelphia Bar Association is hosting a virtual CLE: Poverty and Practice: Working with Low-Income Litigants. Featuring VIP Staff Attorney, Todd Nothstein, and other panelists, this discussion will encourage individuals to examine their assumptions about poverty and decision-making, and learn how to better engage with their communities. Register today for this "can't miss" event! bit.ly/povertypractice

Congratulations to Nicholas Maxymuik, VIP's Volunteer of the Month! Nick has always had a penchant for helping others: in the last year, he supported nine VIP clients, maintained his estate planning practice, and volunteered throughout his community. Thank you, Nick, for your service!... Read more: phillyvip.org/nicholas-maxymuik/

With over 4,400 evictions filed, Philadelphia is facing a new wave of homelessness. This can be prevented. Help demand protection for renters and housing stability by supporting the Emergency Housing Protection Act: bit.ly/HousingJusticePHL

As the Latinx community grows in Philadelphia, the need for Latinx and Spanish-speaking representation is critical. This is especially true for those who own businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. In collaboration with the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania, VIP is calling all Latinx, Latino, and Hispanic lawyers: help support a local small business today: phillyvip.org/calling-all-latinx-lawyers/

VIP's Awards Night is here with an exciting giving opportunity. Enter our raffle and you could win naming rights to VIP's kitchen, and the chance to be honored at a VIP tea! Plus, thanks to an ardent supporter, Stewart Eisenberg of Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C., your gift will be matched dollar-to-dollar! Learn more today and double your impact: https://www.phillyvip.org/events/annual-awards-night/

Congratulations to VIP's 2020 Award Finalists! We're deeply grateful for your extraordinary commitment to our mission of expanding #AccessToJustice. To register for VIP's virtual Awards Night and check out our exciting giving opportunities, please visit phillyvip.org/events/annual-awards-night/

As Family Court re-opens, Philadelphian families will face an unprecedented need for legal aid. Are you interested in helping? Join Sarah Katz from Temple University Beasley School of Law, and VIP Staff Attorney, Todd Nothstein, tomorrow at VIP's Virtual Training: Intro to Custody phillyvip.org/virtual-training-introduction-to-custody/

Huge congratulations to VIP's Managing Attorney, Kelly J. Gastley, for winning the 2020 Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award. This award honors a public interest attorney who has dedicated their life to #AccessToJustice through exceptional leadership, dedication & accomplishment. Kelly, we're so proud of you! ... Learn more about the award and award winners here: https://www.philabarfoundation.org//philadelphia-bar-found

This week, #WelcomeWednesday goes to Sam Romeo, a rising 2L at Rutgers Law School and VIP's Summer 2020 Legal Intern. Sam is honored to be part of the VIP team and help make a positive impact for Philadelphians who need critical legal aid during this especially difficult time.

VIP is hosting its Annual Awards Night on September 17, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm, and we invite you! Please join us in celebrating our extraordinary volunteers and partner organizations dedicated to helping our Philadelphia neighbors overcome critical legal issues. Register today https://www.phillyvip.org/events/annual-awards-night/

This week's #WelcomeWednesday goes to VIP's 2020 Summer Legal Intern, Matthew Rohrer. Matt is a rising 2L at Emory University's School of Law and most interested in family law. He is grateful to have joined the VIP team and excited to help clients with important family matters.

As the pandemic worsens in Philadelphia and other parts of the nation, VIP thanks the front-line healthcare workers who continue to courageously fight COVID-19. We, the only legal aid organization in Philadelphia 100% dedicated to providing pro bono representation, want to help.