Stories from the Civil Justice Crisis
Fighting for Our Veterans
Bill — Los Angeles, California
Bill struggled through symptoms of PTSD for 40 years after returning from Vietnam. At his lowest point, he abruptly lost his source of income, had no access to health care benefits and was on the brink of losing his home. Without the help of his civil legal aid attorney, he would have ended up on the streets.
"As Bill's doctor, I knew his anxiety about losing his home was destroying his health. Bill needed a legal solution to his health issue, and fortunately our medical-legal partnership with Inner City Law Center could provide him that."
— Sharon Birman, Clinical Psychologist, VA West Los Angeles Medical Center
The Civil Justice Connection
A Vietnam veteran with undiagnosed PTSD, Bill was close to losing his home after experiencing a sudden loss of income. Thanks to the services of a medical-legal partnership between the Inner City Law Center and the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs, Bill was able to access psychological services and civil legal aid in one stop. His civil legal aid attorney and health care provider worked together successfully to keep Bill in his home. The community partnership between legal and health groups and the legal guidance Bill got to navigate a complex process is at the heart of what effective civil justice solutions look like.
If you've experienced a civil justice problem (for example, a threat of eviction, a suspicious demand for debt collection, or a disagreement about child custody), you're not alone – and we want to hear from you. Share your story and join the campaign to fix our civil justice system so it works for everyone.
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Explore Storytelling Resources
Reforming our civil justice system requires elevating the stories of people it hurts so no one can ignore everyday civil justice problems and solutions to them. Check out our digital storytelling toolkit to help you better tell the stories of people affected by the civil justice system.
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Find the Untold Stories
Working on a story for media about a civil justice problem? Interested in telling one? Connecting with clients, lawyers, and advocates is the place to start. To find the civil justice angle and get connected to a source, click here to send us a note.
See Find the Untold Stories
Sonja Rutherfordton, North Carolina
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Andrea Green Bay, Wisconsin