Archive
Up one levelWelcome to the ULS Blog!
We are considering using this blog, located on the front of our staff page on the website, as a means of relaying information to staff, and taking feedback and comments.
New Guidelines for annualizing Income
In case you haven't heard, we have changed our process of annualizing income.
Update on the hiring process
We had over 60 applications for our attorney position, replacing Tim Williams in Salt Lake,
What's Keeping SSU Busy - Funding News
I want to make a blog entry here on a regular basis, of course this week and as we've been trying out the blog this hasn't been an issue, but the idea is to just keep you informed about what keeps us in SSU busy. At times in the past that may have seemed like a mystery to some.
Good News Blogging
I know eventually I'll have to relay bad news, it's bound to happen one day, but for now it's nice to be able to let you know that we have more good news to report on the funding front.
TIG grants - More good news
Technology Initative or TIG grants are given out annually by LSC for innovative technology proposals that will improve services to clients.
Trainings, links, pleadings & more . . .
Training Opportunities, Practice Areas, Sample Pleadings & more . . .
Do you know what ULS did last year?
We wanted to share some data that we are considering putting on our yearly fact sheet that gives a brief view of what Utah Legal Services does. We hope you find them interesting!
Were you affected by Ogden's move?
Did you know that Ogden's move affected you? It DID! Do you wonder how?
Salaries and Benefits 2010
In case you missed the open enrollment meeting yesterday, or in all the excitement missed a detail or two, here is an overview of where we are headed in 2010 in terms of benefits and salaries.
We report, so you don't have to...
Just a quick note about what has been keeping us busy over the past couple of weeks. Many of our grants have reports that come due by the end of January each year. We absolutely need everyone to input good information into CFW, checking fund codes and problems codes, entering grant data and the like, but we spare you dealing with the output of all that work, these reports that must be submitted so we can all be paid.
One saga of permanent separation from an abusive spouse
There are many barriers victims face in leaving an abusive spouse. This client story shows that the challenges don't end once the decision to divorce is made.
In Case You Missed It - First Tuesday Update.
Just a couple of notes from First Tuesday, in case you missed it.
Volunteer Letter of Support
I'm copying below a nice letter of support provided by a volunteer attorney for one of our recent grant applications. Read here . . .
ULS saves time and money!
Thanks to Ken and his ever on-going programming for our benefit, ULS has gone paperless with time sheets, saving time and money!
Discussion Boards
Did you know that each of the practice areas have "Discussion Boards"? Did you also know that these discussion boards can be shared with pro bono attorneys?
Helping a domestic violence victim escape abuse and keeping a roof over her head.
Our client came asking for help to get a “moving packet” so she could move herself and her granddaughter out and away from her abusive husband, yet maintain her federal housing subsidy.
In Case You Missed It - Board Meeting and 1st Tuesday Updates
Notes from July 2010 Board meeting and August 2010 First Tuesday meetings!
Exceptional Work at ULS - Annual Evaluations
Annual Evaluations 2010 and a brief summary of some great work done at ULS!
Kudos for Alex McBean and Farm Worker Program
ULS recognized as "Service Provider of the Year" thanks to Alex, Betty & Alfredo.
NEBO Summary Annual Report
Review the summary annual report for the company where we get our vision, dental & life insurance.
Retreat, Board Meeting, New Intake Worker
Thanks to staff for a great retreat, notes on the January 2011 board meeting & announcements of new employees.
Recognition for Bertie Kee-Lopez
Bertie Kee-Lopez, ULS tribal court advocate, has been chosen as a recipient for one of the 10th annual Pete Suazo Social Justice Awards in the area of Community Advocacy and Service.
New Treasury Regulations Protect Exempt Federal Benefits
A recurring problem for recipients of direct deposit federal benefits has been the sudden freezing of their bank accounts containing these exempt funds once their bank has been served with a garnishment order.
What we accomplished at our statewide retreat
What we accomplished at the 2011 Statewide Retreat - And Next Steps
Suazo Award for Bertie Kee Lopez
Our own Bertie Kee Lopez, Native American Tribal Court Attorney, was recognized with a Pete Suazo Social Justice Award at a ceremony on Friday April 8th.
New ULS Financial Eligibility Guidelines
ULS & LSC worked cooperatively to create ULS’ Financial Eligibility Guideline. This guideline outlines our income and asset policies for accepting and continuing representation of clients. The guideline significantly changes some of our prior practices. Outlined here are some of the "big" differences.
Recognition from LDS Church
Anne, some of our staff and one board member attended a lunch held by the LDS Church recognizing the contributions of Utah Legal Services.
New LEP Policy
As part of this process, the LEP (Limited English Proficiency)workgroup at the statewide meeting reviewed and revised ULS' LEP policy.
Reminder - OIG visit and training is next week
A reminder that we'll have two guests from the Office of Inspector General with us next week. More details below.
Insurance plan info on the website
Check out our life insurance plan on the website, at http://www.utahlegalservices.org/advocate/staff-uploads/supplemental-life-insurance-plan-summary/
Some nice words from clients
On a lovely Friday afternoon, here are some lovely words from clients to Marty, Gloria and the Team at ULS.
eLearning Modules
Just a reminder that we have some valuable e-learning modules available. Here's where . . . .
Thanks from a client
This from a farm worker client:
I want to thank you for all your help, for your patience, for your time, for your effort, for your kindness to me. I have a lot of things to be grateful for now that I have no words to express such kindness on your part. All that I have been through has been difficult to me but now I have a reason to keep going. THANK YOU very much.
I will never forget Beatriz and Alex all you have done for me. May God bless you and again thank you very much.
Client Story and Client Thanks
Federal Court Orders Compliance with Social Security Rulings
SR is a young woman with a severe lower back condition that limits her ability to sit and stand for prolonged periods of time. ULS advocate Lori Johnson represented her at a Social Security disability hearing and argued that SR’s need to alternate sitting and standing every 15 minutes to gain relief from pain would preclude her from performing any work. When the ALJ ruled unfavorably, Lori appealed the case to the Appeals Council, arguing that a number of Social Security rulings had been ignored. Specifically, she pointed out that the ALJ was required to make a function-by-function assessment of SR’s ability to sit and stand and that a finding must be made as to the frequency of the need to alternate sitting and standing. When the Appeals Council refused to review the ALJ decision, SR’s case was filed in federal district court. On October 6, 2011, the Magistrate Judge agreed with Lori’s arguments and reversed the decision. SR will now receive a new hearing where her sitting and standing limitation will be properly considered.
Enroll Client Shares the Wealth
An ENROLL client recently donated one month of his disability benefits to ULS, over $1,700.00, in appreciation of our help. He said, "I owe this success to the hard work and dedication of Amy Morgan...I appreciate the role your organization plays in the community, and I hope this money will help support the vital work of attorneys like Amy Morgan."
Here is the rest of his story:
This client, a 61-year-old Vietnam vet, suffers from PTSD and depression due to his experiences during the war. He dropped out of high school just prior to graduation, was drafted soon after and since his return from Vietnam has worked as a electrician for the vast majority of his life. Two years ago his right ankle was severely injured during a workplace accident which required major surgery. When he returned to his job he found himself in excruciating pain, unable to stand or sit for extended periods of time, unable to support the weight of his own tool belt. He had looked at the social security website and the paperwork that was involved in applying for disability assistance and was simply overwhelmed. The depression that the client already had suffered from had become exacerbated by the stress of his financial situation and the unknown future he and his spouse were facing; he did not feel he was equipped to handle a disability application on his own. Amy Morgan of our ENROLL project completed the application for the client, gathered and reviewed his medical records and forwarded them to Social Security, along with her own report which described how the client’s injury impacted his daily life. He was awarded several months of back payments and will receive over $1,700.00 on a monthly basis from here on out.
Every little bit.....
Some recently received good financial news that wasn't in our original budget:
$10,000 from a Davis County social services block grant to support work with victims of domestic violence and a clinic that will be held at the local shelter.
$5,000 from the Burton Foundation and $7,500 from the Michael Foundation to support the ENROLL project, helping qualifying people apply for public benefits, including Social Security disability benefits.
We negotiated a decrease in the cost of our on-line legal research service Westlaw, a savings of almost $24,000 per year, and we are about to release a meeting schedule for 2012 that calls for quarterly in-person meetings, resulting in some savings in travel costs.
Of course this good news won't offset the $300,000 Department of Justice grant, and we continue to wait for news on our federal LSC dollars, but hey, every little bit helps.
If you have other cost savings ideas, now's the time. Thanks.
Good news/Bad news - funding
I'm looking forward to the day when the good news doesn't have to be accompanied by bad news. But at least the bad news does have some good news to go along with it.
We were successful in 2 of our 3 proposals for TIG funding (Technology Initiative Grants) from LSC. This will bring in $30,000 next year. One project will expand on our domestic pleading prep HotDocs system, which Ken will introduce on December 6th. The other will help streamline the up front portion of the intake system and make the massive intake manual obsolete.
We also have word, though not official yet, that we will receive $40,000 from the Utah Bar Foundation, with an additional $30,000 specifically for the Southern Utah Community Legal Center, our St. George office. The Bar Foundation administers IOLTA funds, Interest on Lawyer's Trust Account dollars.
Offsetting this of course is the news I think all of you have seen: a house/senate conference agreement proposes a 14.85% reduction in LSC funding for 2012. This appears very likely to pass and means a reduction in our LSC funding of about $325,000. (Our total LSC funding in 2011 was about 2.2 million, next year it looks to be about 1.875 million.)
We'll keep you posted as things change for better or worse, or become official good or bad news. Meanwhile enjoy the holiday and stay thankful that there is some good news.
What Utah Legal Services did last year.....
|
In 2011, Utah Legal Services . . . |
||
|
Traveled |
102,509 |
miles serving clients |
|
Received |
20,208 |
requests for help |
|
Assisted |
14,137 |
people living at or below 125% of the federal poverty level |
|
Provided |
12,166 |
referrals to other agencies |
|
Opened |
8,042 |
new cases |
|
Closed |
7,024 |
cases |
|
Assisted |
6,902 |
people affected by domestic violence |
|
Handled |
5,406 |
cases with advice or brief service |
|
Assisted |
3,275 |
people facing homelessness or living in unsafe housing |
|
Met with |
2,631 |
people at clinics |
|
Assisted |
2,610 |
people with consumer or employment issues |
|
Received |
2,328 |
hours of pro bono services provided by volunteer attorneys |
|
Assisted |
2,021 |
individuals and families with government benefits |
|
Served |
1,671 |
senior citizens |
|
Helped in |
1,618 |
extended service cases, for example, in court |
|
Represented |
207 |
Native Americans |
|
Assisted in |
73 |
cases for Migrant Farm Workers |
|
Had |
52 |
volunteers |
|
Had |
48 |
employees (FTE) |
|
Had |
40 |
funding sources ranging from $1,045 to $2,250,082 |
|
Existed |
35 |
years in Utah |
|
Served |
29 |
counties in Utah (all of them) |
|
Had |
4 |
offices throughout the state |
|
Has had |
1 |
Mission -- Providing quality representation to people in need. |
|
Last year . . . |
|
|
|
|
|
75% |
of ULS clients were female |
|
70% |
of ULS client families made $15,000 or less |
|
26% |
of ULS clients were minorities |
|
24% |
of ULS clients were Senior Citizens |
|
19% |
of ULS clients were disabled |
|
7% |
of ULS clients' primary language was not English |