Friday Wrap 5.29.09

All the week’s “atj” newsworthy items wrapped up

 Friday Wrap

Texas – Texas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation Recognize Major Contributors to Texas Legal Aid

Chicago, Illinois - ABA Invites Obama to it Annual Meeting

Washington, D.C. – 2nd ABA National Conference on Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities (Hurry for the EARLY BIRD special because after June 1st the registration increases)

United States Supreme Court – President Obama nominates Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court (For more news links, click here. For blog coverage, click here.)

Brooklyn, New York - A Call for Pro Bono at Boro Hall

Lexington, Kentucky – Interview with a True Change Agent

Nashville, Tennessee – New Legal Advice Clinic to Help with Debt Issues

Richmond, Virginia - LINC Recognizes Outstanding Volunteers

Public Justice Center – Donor Inspires Us with $10,000 Gift 

Ventura County, California – New County Program Helping Low-Income Families Adopt

 Winston-Salem, North Carolina – Practical Paralegalism: Paying it Forward

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Credit Card Reforms Could Help Statements

Fairfield, Connecticut – Hard Times Force People Into Family Court “Solo”

Honolulu, Hawaii – Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher Supports Access to Justice Commission

Australia – Pro Bono Work Good for Law Students

New York, New York – Pro Bono Recruitment Drive

San Diego, California – Law Made Public: Legal Research Class for the Self-Represented Litigant

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Court, Health Care, IOLTA, Identity Theft, Immigration, LEP, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Limited English Proficiency, Plain English, Plain Language, President, Readability, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, Unemployment, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, disability, divorce, domestic violence, elderly, employment, homeless, hunger, indigent, law librarians, law students, legal aid, military, people with disabilities, poverty, poverty guidelines, pro bono, public interest attorney, self-represented litigant, subprime mortgage crisis, veterans , $10000 Gift, 2nd ABA National Conference on Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities, ABA, access to justice commission, Adopt, Adoption, American Bar Association, Australia, Barack Obama, Boro Hall, Brooklyn, California, Chicago, Connecticut, Credit Card Reforms, D.C., Debt Issues, Donor, Fairfield, Family Court, Hawaii, Honolulu, Illinois, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Kentucky, law students, Legal Advice Clinic, Lexington, limited scope representation, Low-Income Families, Nashville, New York, New York City, North Carolina, Obama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, President Obama, pro bono, Pro Bono Recruitment, Pro Bono Work, Public Justice Center, San Diego, self-represented litigant, Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation, Texas Legal Aid, U.S. Supreme Court, United States Supreme Court, Ventura County, Washington D.C., Winston-Salem

Have you been a Victim of Identity Theft?

Identity Theft has become a common term in society these days. This is why the preceding story about the SCLS client is so important. It is heartening that entities exist to assist us when we become victims of this crime, but it made me wonder “Have you been the victim of identity theft?”

Last year a good friend of mine had her identity stolen. It has taken her almost the entire year to straighten out her credit. It was a complicated mess for her.

My brush with identity theft has been brief. Recently upon a review of credit card charges, my husband asked if I’d purchased anything from Mexico. I hadn’t. We immediately placed a call to our credit card company to dispute the charge. We will complete the necessary paperwork, the card in question was immediately destroyed (shredded at our house and placed out of circulation at the card company) and we were issued a new card and number. We were lucky.

 

  -RFW

PS – If you think you have been or may be the victim of Identity Theft, check out the following Online Resources:

• http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
• http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html
• http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
• http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
• http://101-identitytheft.com/contact.htm#fraudalert
• http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
• http://idtheft.about.com/
• http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/misused/idtheft.html

Filed under: 1, IRS, Identity Theft, Law, South Carolina, South Carolina Legal Services, advocacy, poll , ', ID Theft, Identity Theft, Resources to protect against identity theft

SPOTLIGHT on SOUTH CAROLINA LEGAL SERVICES

SCLS helps Man recover from identity theft

Most of us are aware that from time to time bad things happen. Root canals, bad. Roof needs repair, bad.

Identity theft with the IRS knocking on YOUR door for back taxes on income YOU never saw, hide-under-your-bed bad.

Here’s the scenario:

You enter the USA on a K-1 visa, also known as the Fiancé(e) visa. English is not your first language, but that’s ok, you’ve got some time to learn it. And you marry according to plan and begin working in the USA with a properly issued Social Security Number. You’re not making a lot of money, but you’re in the United States with your new bride. Ah, life is good.

THEN it happens. Your identity is stolen. Someone is using YOUR new social security number. As if that’s not bad enough, they’re reporting THEIR income on YOUR number. AND now the IRS wants YOU to pay income tax on this other reported income.

Where do you turn? What if you’re not making enough money to hire a private attorney?

South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) recently had the opportunity to rectify this very scenario. In 2001, a Spanish-speaking person entered the United States on a K-1 visa, married later that year and had someone else report their income under his social security number. The IRS requested the income tax for this other person’s income.

With assistance from Roger Watkins, the SCLS Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Coordinator, SCLS attorney Jada Charley, who speaks Spanish, followed the rules and properly provided the IRS with documentation to establish a case of identity theft. As a result of Ms. Charley’s intervention, her client will receive a check for $2,236.74 from the IRS, which is the amount that was withheld from her client’s plus interest.

IDENTITY THEFT is a growing issue, both in South Carolina and nationally. It is heartwarming to know that SCLS takes these cases and gets real results for South Carolinians with low-income who are victims of identity theft.

To learn more about how to protect yourself from identity theft, visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.

Good job SCLS!

-RFW

Filed under: 1, IRS, Identity Theft, Law, Legal, Legal Documents, Limited English Proficiency, South Carolina, South Carolina Legal Services, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, indigent, legal aid, poverty , Identity Theft, IRS, K-1 Visa, SCLS, South Carolina Legal Services