Lisa Ohta Legal Aid

ALAA – UAW Local 2325 is the oldest lawyers` union in the country. The Office of Appeals Advocates staff now joins the more than 2,000 ALAA members employed by the Legal Aid Society of New York, Nassau County Legal Aid Society, Federal Advocates of New York, Orange County Legal Aid Society, Youth Represent, CAMBA Legal Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem. New York Legal Assistance Group, Asian Americans for Equality, Center for Family Representation, Safe Passage Project, Children`s Law Center, The Bronx Defenders, Catholic Migration Services, Justice in Motion, and Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. „Since joining OAD a few weeks ago, I have been proud of the commitment, quality and innovative representation of OAD employees to our customers. But even in the face of excellence, there is room for growth and improvement. We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our country and organization where we can reinforce the shared values of inclusion and racial justice and use them as guides to strengthen the mission and determination of the ADO to provide the highest quality, holistic appellate representation, and post-conviction relief for those involved in the criminal justice system in Manhattan and the Bronx. said Caprice R. Jenerson, Chair and Chief Counsel of the Board Office. Together, I am confident that we can define and achieve our shared values and goals that will continue to support ADO in the future. Our efforts will not only ensure a fair and inclusive workplace, but also strengthen our zealous professional representation in the communities we serve so passionately.

„We are very proud to welcome the dedicated DAO employees to our union, as part of the massive movement of legal counsel in this country who are organizing to improve conditions for their colleagues and clients,“ said Lisa Ohta, President of the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers – UAW Local 2325. And I hope it can serve as a shining example for other nonprofits of how a progressive organization can work productively with its employees. We look forward to fruitful discussions with OAD to advance its mission and provide even greater representation to our clients. Fedorczyk, who became a public defender right after law school, also denounced a story she heard from the OCA in which she claimed that public defenders simply did not want to work, calling it „the most offensive thing she has ever heard.“ „More than a million schoolchildren go to school in New York City,“ Chalden said. „No head of state, city or government agency is backing down, we are not in March 2020. As the virus becomes increasingly endemic, we continue to responsibly monitor its impact on all aspects of our judicial work and its long-term impact on all stakeholders, not parts. Chen Yo Chi, Chapter President, Asian Americans For Equality Lizzie English, Chapter President, Center for Family Representation „We all know that we don`t earn a salary that`s worth a lot — I do it because I love what I do,“ she said. „I can`t do that now with the way things have progressed.“ „Queens is in a particularly difficult position,“ Fedorczyk said. „Staff shortages mean we have to fill more shifts and are more exposed. Expose customers, other employees and family members who have not asked to be in this situation. Alexander Hu, chapter president of the New York Legal Assistance Group The OCA`s decision, combined with Omicron`s transmissibility, she said, has only exacerbated infection risks as positivity and hospitalization rates across the city remain at their highest levels in months. Farro was joined Tuesday by public defense attorneys from across New York City in a virtual rally to call on the state`s court system to resume virtual charges for the safety of lawyers, litigants and court staff at all levels.

Ian Spiridigliozzi, Vice Chair, Juvenile Rights Practice (LAS) Queens Defenders attorney Shane Ferro has not been assigned to a prosecution shift recently, but said what she saw in her personal activities in court earlier this week left her with deep anxiety ahead of her full return later this week. Coleen Foley, Chapter Chair, Orange County Legal Aid Society Her staffing concerns were echoed by Legal Services lawyer Elysia Fedorczyk, who said turnover without the resources to increase staff was of particular concern. Some employees record a dozen cases at a time and have been forced to turn around while their colleagues quarantine. „We made virtual arrangements for a year and it worked well. It wasn`t ideal, but we`re in a pandemic,“ she said. „I`m less effective when I`m scared [or] I`m sick, or when all my colleagues are sick and we`re understaffed, which brings us to a point where that`s going to happen.“ About the Association of Legal Attorneys (UAW 2325) Members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys gathered on Zoom on Wednesday to urge the OCA to resume virtual charges if possible to limit the spread of COVID-19. Screenshot via Zoom „There is no substitute for personal advocacy, but. We are inundated daily with notifications from judges and court staff, and members have tested positive after a single shift,“ Ohta added.