Community Initiatives
Eviction Expungement Program
LASEV’s Legal Services Corporation Pro Bono Innovation Fund Project grant funds an attorney and paralegal for our Eviction Expungement Project. This project engages volunteer attorneys to help address the eviction crisis in our service area, focusing on clearing up tenant rental and credit histories to reduce barriers to obtaining affordable housing. Our project staff coordinate volunteer clinics at docket days in General District Courts and other locations throughout our service area to assist tenants with eviction expungements and provide additional holistic advice and assistance in addressing barriers to housing.
Legal Services for Homeless Veterans
Our Veterans Justice Team, funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk For Homelessness grant, focuses on the needs of homeless and at-risk veterans throughout our heavily military populated service area. Pursuant to this grant, our Team assists veterans with a variety of civil legal needs to obtain stability, including accessing government benefits and health care, housing, employment, consumer, and family law matters, criminal defense in matters symptomatic of homelessness, and requests for an upgrade to the character of discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces.
Student Disability Rights Project
Supported by the Virginia Law Foundation, our Student Disability Rights Project is dedicated to special education advocacy, as well as student discipline, bullying, and truancy cases involving disabled students. This Project expands our outreach and educational events focused on helping parents understand and advocate for their children’s rights – promoting greater equity and access in education across our community.
Legal Services for Families Impacted by Domestic Violence
Generously funded by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, LASEV’s Norfolk Office is able to provide focused legal services to address the needs of domestic violence survivors with children who are facing Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement as a direct result of abuse in their homes. These survivors, often already navigating the trauma of violence, may face the added threat of losing custody of their children through removal proceedings. The legal and emotional stakes in these cases are profound, as the outcomes directly determine family safety, stability and unity.
LASEV provides direct representation to these survivors in their CPS or related court proceedings, assists survivors in interconnected civil legal needs (such as housing, consumer matters or public benefits matters), and collaborates with local domestic violence organization to ensure survivors receiving holistic support services with the overall goal of reducing the cycle of trauma and preserving safe family units.