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2017 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 367
Commending the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 9, 2017
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 20, 2017
 

WHEREAS, for more than 50 years, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley has provided legal representation and advice to low-income individuals and families at no cost; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley was established in December 1966 by attorneys Charles Carrington and William Weinberg; the organization was the first nonprofit of its kind in the state and opened with 90 initial clients; and

WHEREAS, as the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley grew, it relocated from the Total Action for Progress building to a larger office on Church Avenue to better serve its clients; by 1976, the staff had grown to more than 12 attorneys; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of Virginia has handled more than 100,000 cases since its inception, including more than 1,000 cases in 2016; nearly 80 percent of the organization’s work is related to legal consultations, many of which are handled over the phone; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley serves clients in the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, Roanoke, and Rockbridge and the cities of Covington, Lexington, Roanoke, and Salem; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley has provided expert advice on a wide range of non-criminal issues, including hospital bills, utility programs, credit garnishment, bankruptcy, job discrimination, welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, and unemployment insurance; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley has equipped clients with the proper information to address housing concerns, such as landlord abuses, bad housing conditions, public housing deposits, evictions, and problems with mobile home parks; and

WHEREAS, demonstrating professionalism and discretion, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley is well-equipped to address family violence and abuse, custody disputes, divorces, and non-support; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley provides advice on remedies to conflicts with businesses, government agencies, and individuals, and it partners with Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc., to provide a full range of civil services; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Legal Aid Society of the Roanoke Valley as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its mission to provide access to justice for thousands of Roanoke Valley residents.