JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Help Wanted

Low Country Legal Aid announces 2 JOB Vacancies:

Since August 2000, Low Country Legal Aid has engaged community volunteers and retired attorneys to provide free advice, education and legal representation to low-income families in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties. Low Country. Legal Aid is registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

1. Low Country Legal Aid seeks experienced attorney to serve as Executive Attorney. Responsibilities include case management, legal representation, oversight of volunteer lawyers, and legal education.

Please send resume by US. Mail to:

Peter Strauss
55 Hospital Center Common
Suite 300
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

OR

By Email to pstrauss@thestrausslawfirm.com

2. Low Country Legal Aid seeks experienced leader to serve as Executive Director. Responsibilities include serving as the public voice of LCLA, maintaining the fiscal and operational strength of LCLA, supervising and motivating staff.

Please send resume by US. Mail to:

Peter Strauss
55 Hospital Center Common
Suite 300
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

OR

By Email to pstrauss@thestrausslawfirm.com

-RFW

P.S. Please pass along to qualified individuals who may be interested in these positions!

Filed under: 1, IOLTA, IRS, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, Unemployment, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, employment, indigent, legal aid, poverty, poverty guidelines, public interest attorney , 501(c)(3) charitable organization, August 2000, Beaufort, Executive Attorney, Executive Director, Hampton, Hilton Head Island, Jasper, Low Country Legal Aid, Peter Strauss, South Carolina

March in Review

I hope you enjoy the Ms from March. I had fun reviewing the list.

1. Musings by George
2. Marbury v. Madison
3. Much ado about Foreclosures
4. More Tech Talk
5. Middleon the Man, Mad about UNEMPLOYMENT, My Thai
6. Monday? No, Friday
7. .
8. .
9. Monday Topics
10. Mondale, Mocha, Stimulus, Ask-A-Lawyer
11. Massive Lay-offs, I-CAN!® E-file
12. Mock Trial, Modest Means, More Need
13. .
14. .
15. .
16. Mortgages, mortgages, mortgages
17. More SRLs, Making History with Mortgage Assistance
18. March 18, 1963
19. Magazine Article re: LEP
20. .
21. .
22. .
23. Me? A Moderator, Marriage Dissolution Packet online
24. Media Videos
25. Mid-Coast in Child Homelessness
26. Mr. Judge: No CDV in MY Court
27. Mexican Mixe, Justice Z, Maira & More
28. .
29. .
30.  Makin’ Photography
31. Millions and a Map

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Ask-A-Lawyer, Charleston School of Law, Civil Gideon, Court, IRS, LEP, Law, Legal, Legal Documents, Limited English Proficiency, Plain English, Plain Language, Right to Counsel, SC Bar, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program, South Carolina Court Administration, South Carolina Legal Services, South Carolina Supreme Court, Unemployment, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, children, constitution, court innovation, divorce, domestic violence, employment, foreclosure, homeless, indigent, law librarians, law students, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney, self-represented litigant, subprime mortgage crisis, technola , March in Review, SC Access to Justice Commission weblog

And Another Thing . . . I-CAN!® E-File 2008 Reports

Thanks to Kate Bladow at Techno.la and ProBono.net for this additional info!

I-CAN!® E-File 2008 has REPORTS that allow us to see how many filings are completed out of each state. As of this writing 36 South Carolinians had completed their returns using I-CAN!® E-File 2008 for refunds totalling $54,492 and Earned Income Credits (EIC) totalling $18,219.

If you are unfamiliar with the term EIC, you can learn more here. In order to qualify for EIC, taxpayers MUST file a tax return, even if they did not earn enough money to be obligated to file a tax return.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, IRS, Legal, South Carolina, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, blog, indigent, poverty, poverty guidelines , e-file, Earned Income Credit, EIC, I-CAN!® E-File 2008, I-CAN!® E-File 2008 Reports, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Kate Bladow, probono.net, South Carolina, tax returns, Taxes, technola

Taxes? Check out I-CAN!® E-File

From the site:

I-CAN!® E-file can help you prepare and e-file your taxes for FREE.

There is no income limit to use I-CAN!® E-file.

Just answer simple questions on each screen and print your completed tax return.

I-CAN!® E-file can also e-file (electronically file) your return to the IRS

and your state if applicable.

You cannot use I-CAN!® E-file to file your State return by itself.

You can do your Federal and State returns together

or your Federal return by itself.

Check it out here!

Thanks to Legal Aid Society of Orange County for developing this fantastic tax aid.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, IRS, Law, Legal, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, legal aid, poverty , I-CAN! tm E-file, IRS, Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Taxes

Looking for some good news? Look no further . . .

Fresh off the digital highway, good news from Equal Justice Works – public service loan forgiveness is NOT taxable. That’s right – not taxable. This is great news for attorneys practicing public interest law!

To read more, visit http://equaljusticeworks.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/public-service-loan-forgiveness-not-taxable/.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, IRS, Law, Legal, PILS, access to justice, advocacy, attorney, blog, law students, legal aid , public interest law, Equal Justice Works, public service loan forgiveness

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