Through support of Van Osdol & Magruder and Tom Bradshaw, the very important work of the Neighborhood Justice Center serving the poor in the midtown urban core continues.
The Neighborhood Justice Center was founded approximately 15 years ago by volunteer attorneys, including Tom, to supplement the work provided by Legal Aid as that organization experienced substantial budget cutbacks. With Van Osdol & Magruder’s support and encouragement, Tom has agreed to devote a substantial portion of his time to managing the Neighborhood Justice Center and providing pro bono legal services to the urban poor.
Services include representing retired homeowners who are no longer able to make mortgage payments and are at serious risk of foreclosure with little, if any, alternatives for housing. Many of these people are experiencing early dementia and need assistance handling financial affairs for which they lack family support.
Other cases include helping adult children prepare living wills and healthcare directives for parents; instituting guardianship proceedings for elderly people; expunging old criminal records to assist people trying to obtain meaningful employment; advising and representing people who have been victimized by home repair vendors; and consulting with women who have been victims of domestic violence.
While the center’s volunteer attorneys do not become involved in defending criminal cases, which are better handled by a public defender, they do advise crime victims with respect to court appearances and restitution.
Tom gives great meaning to the word “justice” as a Center of our Neighborhood!
