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New Mexico Legal Aid 2014 Annual Report

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"The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the great enterprises and ideals of American society." Robert F. Kennedy

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“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us get through this process. Your advice and counsel was

paramount to helping us make it through.”

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During the past year, nearly 1 out of every 4 New Mexicans had incomes too low to meet basic needs for food, housing and medical care. Across the U.S., only Mississippi had a higher poverty rate. For New Mexico, there are four key issues in particular which continue to be among the root causes of this economic disparity:

● Domestic violence continues to be a leading reason why New Mexico women, especially those with small children, are nearly twice as likely to experience long-term poverty as men.

● Safe and affordable housing continues to be beyond the reach of far too many New Mexican working adults and families.

● Economic conditions linked to recurring unemployment and shrinking access to full-time jobs have left many New Mexicans trapped in unmanageable high-interest debt.

● Age, disability and other circumstances beyond an individual’s control can leave New Mexicans who are unable to work with daunting challenges to qualify for government health care and financial assistance programs, often requiring months or years of hearings and paperwork before even basic help is available.

New Mexico Legal Aid during the past year has continued to achieve nationally recognized success in providing high-quality legal assistance essential for thou-sands of New Mexicans and their children to overcome these barriers. With New Mexico Legal Aid’s help, many adults and families struggling to escape poverty now have a fair chance at a brighter future.

In addition to our core services, we also are especially proud of our experienced staff who lead NMLA’s specialty projects, including our Veterans Justice Project based in Albuquerque. In addition, NMLA’s Native American Program is the largest provider of civil legal services in New Mexico’s diverse Pueblos and trib-al communities. Native American Program Managing Attorney Lisa Chavez was named the 2014 national winner of the Pierce-Hickerson Award for outstanding advocacy for Native American Rights.

Our statewide Foreclosure Defense Project, in partnership with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, helps many financially struggling New Mexico families hang on to their homes. Our Land & Water Rights Project helps protect vital irrigation resources for small acequias villages throughout the state. Our Migrant Farm Worker Program helps New Mexican agricultural workers enforce their rights for fair wages and safe working conditions.

Last but not least, our statewide Volunteer Attorney Program, in collaboration with the State Bar of New Mexico and the New Mexico Commission on Access to Justice, supports hundreds of volunteer attorneys, paralegals and law students who give many thousands of hours of free legal assistance to low-income clients each year. These efforts have recently been recognized with a national Legal Services Corporation “Pro Bono Innovations” grant that will help NMLA provide enhanced technology systems and work with additional partner agencies includ-ing the Southwest Women’s Law Center and the New Mexico Women’s Bar Association to help even more volunteer attorneys meet these needs in the years ahead.

We couldn’t do any of this without funders and individual donors like you whose generous financial support make possible the services and successes described in this report. Please visit our web site at www.newmexicolegalaid.org and “like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/newmexicolegalaid to learn even more about how you can partner with NMLA to help achieve life-changing solutions for New Mexican friends, families and neighbors in need during the year ahead.

Thank you!

Maria Garcia Geer, Ed Marks, NMLA Board Chair Executive Director

Advancing Fairness & Justice for All

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•Naava Koenigsberg

•Carlos Marentes

•Kim McGinnis, PhD, Esq.

•Bernard Metzgar, Esq.

•Mekko Miller, Esq.

•Judge John Pope

•Vernon Roanhorse, Esq.

•Paul Spruhan, Esq.

•Delilah Tenorio, Esq.

•Glenda Vick

•Juliette White

Former NMLA client and current Board Member Juliette White, pictured with Staff Attorney Beatriz Ferreira, was invited to speak at the Legal Services Corporation’s 40th Anniversary Conference in Washington, DC on September 16th to share her touching story of how NLMA assisted with preventing a foreclosure on her family’s home.

• Maria Garcia Geer, Esq., Board Chair

• Stuart Bluestone, Esq., Vice Chair

• Paul Abrams, Esq., Treasurer

• David Hernandez, Esq., Secretary

• Joana Armann

• Cathrynn Novich Brown, Esq.

• Roxanna Chacón, Esq.

• Johnny Chavez

• Samuel Cordova

• JoHanna Cox, Esq.

• Kaydee Culbertson, Esq.

• John Feldman, Esq.

• Francesca Martinez- Estevez, Esq.

• Fernando Garcia

• Elizabeth J. Gutierrez, Esq.

• Oma Jones

2014 Board of Directors

Client Board member, Glenda Vick

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8–9 10–13Find out why we here at NMLA are champions of legal aid in our communities and beyond. Get to know us!

Check out some of our milestones and accomplishments in 2014. We are happy to be making a difference in New Mexico!

14–15 Meet some of our clients and read about how they overcame their legal issues with the help of NMLA.

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Connect with us on social media, find out how to donate, or come by for a visit at any of our ten locations throughout New Mexico.

Get deep into our numbers and check out our client and case data, revenue and expenses for 2014.

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Since opening our doors in 1953, New Mexico Legal Aid has

been dedicated to removing barriers to justice for

disenfranchised residents in all areas of New Mexico

through free assistance in 4 main practice areas, 7 special

projects and the Volunteer Attorney Program.

“The injustices faced by the poor and marginalized individuals and communities in our region are tremendous, and the systemic structures that perpetuate the injustices are firmly entrenched. At NMLA, staff can join their energy and commitment with those of co-workers, community allies, and clients to confront injustices and work for transformation on individual, community, and structural levels. Staff at the Las Cruces office believe that all human beings can be agents of change in their lives, their families and their communities. We work in civil legal aid to support others in making that a reality.” —Evangelina Mercado, Managing Attorney, Las Cruces

Our Mission The mission of New Mexico Legal Aid, Inc. (NMLA) is to be the voice, defender and advocate for poor people who are seeking justice in all forums, particularly in the communities in which they live. NMLA is committed to help poor people in their struggle to access to food, shelter, security, and to preserve their unique cultural heritages.

Our Vision New Mexico Legal Aid is a civil legal advocacy organization dedicated to opening the door to equal access to justice for all disenfranchised and low-income people and communities throughout New Mexico by providing outreach, training, education, and quality representation.

Our Locations New Mexico Legal Aid has ten offices statewide, serving all residents of the state who fall within the federal poverty guidelines.

1. Family Law 2. Housing Law 3. Consumer Rights 4. Public Benefits

Champions of Legal Aid

• Veterans Justice• Native American • Foreclosure Defense• Migrant Worker• Victims of Domestic Violence• Rural Advocacy• Land & Water Rights

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“The Albuquerque office provides representation to clients living in the most populated area of the state which includes Bernalillo, Sandoval, Socorro, Torrance and Valencia Counties. The office is divided into 5 practice units: Domestic Law; Housing and Consumer; Public Benefits; Veterans Justice Project and Foreclosure Law. The dedication, hard work and collaboration be-tween staff members in this office results in more than 1100 clients receiving direct help annually. We also provide outreach to the community in the form of clin-ics, training and attendance at public events.” —Shelbie Allen, Managing Attorney, Albuquerque “My motivation to do this work came from a very obvious injustice in the federal laws I

read in my father’s law books. As an adopted Indian child who grew up in the upper middle class of America, I had NO idea of the reality faced by Native Americans, until I started reading laws and congressional reports. I decided to go to law school so I could help. My goal was to specifically represent individuals. I’ve been here nearly 16 years doing just that. I have learned that sometimes we are their last hope and our assistance is amazingly helpful to them. We are thanked with blessings and courage and as far as I’m concerned as long as I can help, I will!” —Terrill Muller, Staff Attorney, Santa Ana

“Since May, I have been managing the three northern offices (Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Taos), and we have been working together to staff cases, handle emergencies and cover for one another in the 1st, 4th and 8th Judicial Districts. We have also been expanding our rural outreach. Each staff member is responsible for outreach in a different part of our geographical coverage area.” —Amy Propps, Managing Attorney

Our Year1

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Case Work In 2014, New Mexico Legal Aid handled 4,470 cases, half of them involving Family Law. A total of 13,015 New Mexicans were affected by legal assistance, 7,177 of them adults and 5,494 children. With the help of NMLA attorneys, clients avoided liabilities of $342,746 and achieved a total financial benefit of $470,977.

Team Members We said goodbye and thanks to some teammates, and hello to some new ones, but are always excited to get to work and help out whomever we can!

Donated Time 2014 saw an increase in free legal fairs and clinics, educational workshops, outreach events and attendance by not only our own attorneys, but private attorneys as well. 115 volunteer attorneys handled 280 cases and closed 161.

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Top: Legal Secretary for the Volunteer Attorney Program Felipe Quintana helps out at a legal clinic. Bottom: Our Santa Fe team.

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4 Awards Native American Program Managing Attorney Lisa Chavez was honored by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association in Arlington, VA as the 2014 recipient of the Pierce-Hickerson Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement or preservation of Native American rights.

Feat for Justice Albuquerque Attorney Matt Vance and friend, Scientist Pawel Listwan, hiked the Grand Canyon, rim to rim to rim for 48 miles in just over 22 hours, raising money for the Veterans Justice Project. They both received expressions of gratitude at our December Board meeting, then immediately started planning for a 2015 Feat!

Education Volunteer Attorney Program Director Paul Haidle and Statewide Pro Bono Coordinator Aja Brooks represented the VAP at the State Bar Annual Meeting on July 28th at the Tamaya Resort in Bernalillo.

Top: Paul Haidle and Aja Brooks joined by State Bar President Erika Anderson and past President of the American Bar Association and current

Legal Services Corporation National Board Member Robert Grey Bottom: Managing Attorney Lisa Chavez in Arlington accepting the Pierce-

Hickerson Award at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association.

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“The Gallup office serves West Central New Mexico, primarily McKinley and Cibola Counties, including the Zuni Pueblo and eastern portions of the Navajo Nation. Over 70% of our clients are Native American. Many come from rural areas to Gallup for work, shopping, healthcare, recreation, and sometimes our Legal Aid services. I think the different cultures, the strengths of the traditions of the people, their creativity, the rich area history, and the incredible beauty of this part of New Mexico make our communities and people special, and make working here continually interesting.” —Joel Jasperse, Managing Attorney, Gallup. Shown here: Lucy Becenti, Gallup Secretary with Chief Manuelito

On April 17th, the Volunteer Attorney Program recognized its Volunteers of the Year at a reception hosted by the Second Judicial District Pro Bono Committee.

From left to right: Kate Worthington, Fred C. Martinez, Erin Olson and Cheryl Hill.

Hanging out with Silver City: What are some highlights from 2014? “[We] participated in legal fairs in both Deming and Silver City during pro bono month, and have already signed up to assist with the 2015 fairs! These fairs provide a direct insight into the most urgent legal needs of two communities in our service area, and help us identify gaps in outreach based on case types we are not seeing in our office.” —Cassandra Brulotte, Managing Attorney

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Hanging out with Roswell: What are the legal needs like in Roswell? “Most clients live outside the office area and they have poor transportation available to them.” Case types involve “Immigration, farmworker (ranchero)/employment issues, custody and family law issues, domestic violence, unemployment and housing. At present, we are under-staffed, but our team deals with the demands the best we can by reaching out to other attorneys within our organization which helps alleviate the burden.” —Rafaela Herrera-Solórzano, Managing Attorney

Hanging out with Las Cruces: How does your team work together for the achievement of our clients? This office believes in teamwork. Each person in this office is always willing to assist or provide guidance on a case, even if it is not a case they normally handle. We communicate well with each other and know that if we ask for help, we will get it. Attorneys are able to devote more time to their work, thanks to our paralegals and support staff.”

—Evangelina Mercado, Managing Attorney

Left to right: Martin Lopez, Staff Attorney in Las Vegas retired after working at NMLA for almost a decade. Albuquerque Staff Attorney Alicia Clark helps out at a free legal clinic.

Staff Attorney Jane Zhi and Legal Secretary Kathi Vance at an Albuquerque outreach event.

Due to being diagnosed with a severe disability, Richard lost his job and accidentally defaulted on the loan for his vehicle. When he submitted an insurance claim due to disability, he was rejected. New Mexico Legal Aid stepped in and determined that unfair practices had been employed by denying Richard his claim. Richard was ultimately cleared of his debts and his credit report returned to a clean state.

Meet Magda, who after suffering much abuse through two decades of marriage came to New Mexico Legal Aid for assistance with divorce. Her husband fought her for years, vying for full custody of their children so he could dodge paying child support. Magda was left exhausted, without finances and homeless. Through NMLA exposing the many discrepancies in his stories and his unfair treatment of Magda and the children, she was able to obtain custody of her chil-dren and a partner agency built them a much-deserved new home.

“[NMLA] showed they care for the people. We are very thankful for your services…words

cannot express how we really feel.”

*Names and pictures have been changed to protect client privacy.

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Helping Those in Need /

Throughout all ten offices, 4,922 cases were worked on, benefitting almost 13,000 New Mexicans, including 5,594 children.

Adam suddenly became concerned one day when his daughter turned up with large quantities of illegal drugs in her system after a visit with her mother. He contacted New Mexico Legal Aid for help, at which time it was found the mother was not only responsible for the girl’s exposure to drugs, she was also stealing the child’s benefits for herself. With the help of his NMLA attorney, Adam was able to gain full custody of his daughter and her benefits were transferred to him so the girl could receive the help she needed.

Santiago, a single father of three children and a Veteran, was given a notice of eviction for missing rent payments due to recovering from a major surgery and having to stay out of work. He had applied to be late on his payments, but his landlord did not approve it in time. After representing himself and being ordered to leave his home, Santiago came to NMLA. Our attorneys obtained that late payment approval for him and he was able to make his missed payments over time and he and his children were allowed to stay in their home.

Over 51% of cases involve children living in a home with an

income of under $25,000 annually. Family Law cases

account for almost half of all cases in a given year.

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2014 Data,Top 10 Case Types

White BlackHispanic Native AmericanAsian, Pacific OtherMulti-Racial

Ethnicity of Clients

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Female Male

Gender of Clients

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19%

81%

Salaries and Benefits: $4,924,050Non-Personnel Expenses: $1,125,938

24%

24%

52%

Legal Services Corporation: $3,176,639Civil Legal Services Commission: $1,437,327Other Grants, Contracts, Contributions, etc.: $1,437,327

As a nonprofit law firm that provides legal assistance at no cost to our clients, we are grateful for all the grants and contributions that make our work possible. We

are thankful to have forged such strong partnerships with these agencies, who provide this vitally needed support.

• Legal Services Corporation • New Mexico Civil Legal

Services Commission • New Mexico Children, Youth

and Families Department • New Mexico Crime Reparation

Commission • Supreme Court of New Mexico

Consolidated Civil Legal Services Fund

• United Way of Central New Mexico

• Equal Access to Justice Campaign

• Native American Rights Fund • United Way of Grant County • City of Las Cruces

• New Mexico Commission for the Blind

• Acequias Norteñas • New Mexico Acequia

Association • New Mexico Attorney General’s

Office • New Mexico Land Grant Council • Sandia Foundation • McCune Charitable Foundation • New Mexico Veterans

Integration Centers • U.S. Department of Labor Face

Forward Program in partnership with Pegasus Legal Services for Children

• Notre Dame University

Expenses & Revenue /

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“I see that they [NMLA] work for the people. They were really helpful to me and for me. Thank God we, the low-income, have people that fight for us at Legal Aid. Thank you all so much.”

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If you would like to donate to New Mexico Legal Aid and be a part of providing much needed aid to New Mexicans, please visit our website at newmexicolegalaid.org and feel free to stop by any one of our ten offices!

@NewMexicoLegalAid

@NMLegalAid1

contact@nmlegalaid.org

Albuquerque301 Gold Avenue, SW (87102)

P.O. Box 25486

Albuquerque, NM 87125-5486

(505) 243-7871 Office

1-866-416-1922 Toll Free

(505) 227-8712 Fax

Clovis1012 W. Grand (88101)

P.O. Box 864

Clovis, NM 88102

(575) 769-2326 Office

1-866-416-1921 Toll Free

(575) 219-6363 Fax

Gallup 211 West Mesa, Ste. 5 & 6

PO Box 1475

Gallup, NM 87305

(505) 722-4417 Office

1-800-524-4417 Toll Free

(505) 726-4539 Fax

NMLA Office Locations /

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Las Cruces600 E. Montana, Ste. D

Las Cruces, NM 88001-4246

(575) 541-4800 Office

1-866-515-7667 Toll Free

(575) 541-3218 Fax

Las Vegas932 Gallinas St., Ste. 109

P.O. Box 1454

Las Vegas, NM 87701

(505) 425-3514 Office

1-866-416-1932 Toll Free

(505) 718-3026 Fax

Roswell200 E. Fourth St., Ste. 200

P.O. Box 1087

Roswell, NM 88202-1087

(575) 623-9669 Office

1-866-416-1920 Toll Free

(575) 208-1660 Fax

Native American Program:Santa Ana

51 Jemez Canyon Dam Rd., Ste.102

Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 87004

P.O. Box 817

Bernalillo, NM 87004

(505) 867-3391 Office

1-866-505-2371 Toll Free

(505) 552-3004 Fax

Santa Fe901 W. Alameda, Ste. 20B (87501)

P.O. Box 32197

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 982-9886 Office

1-866-416-1934 Toll Free

(505) 216-2997 Fax

Silver City301 W. College Ave., Ste. 17

Silver City, NM 88061

(575) 388-0091 Office

1-866-224-5097 Toll Free

(575) 956-9144 Fax

Taos214C Kit Carson Rd.

Taos, NM 87571

(575) 758-2218 Office

1-800-294-1823 Toll Free

(575) 613-1368 Fax

Volunteer Attorney Program 5121 Masthead NE 87109

P.O. Box 92860

Albuquerque, NM 87199-2860

(505) 797-6000 Office

1-877-266-9861 Toll Free

(505) 933-6033 Fax

New Mexico Legal Aid, Inc. 301 Gold Ave. SW Albuquerque, NM 87102

1-866-416-1922 www.newmexicolegalaid.org

Thank You for a wonderful year and your continuous support of

New Mexico Legal Aid!

Design and editing by: Miranda Fafard