Philadelphia Legal Assistance

Today is the day! It’s Giving Tuesday! Make a gift to keep Philadelphians safe, stable, and housed. Every dollar you give today fuels life-changing work: keeping families together, preserving stable housing, and empowering individuals to fight for their rights. Beyond that, your gift strengthens Philadelphia—helping us build a community where access to legal help isn’t a privilege but a right. Your donation today will make a difference for your neighbors. Don’t wait—today is the day to act. Visit philalegal.org/donate now to make your gift!

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow! Your community needs your help. Thousands of families in Philadelphia can’t afford legal help when they need it. Your donation to Philadelphia Legal Assistance ensures that workers, families, and survivors of abuse can get the help they need. You can help a member of your community stay housed, safe, and stable. Visit philalegal.org/donate to make your gift today.

This Thanksgiving, as we gather to share meals with loved ones, we are reminded that it is the hard work and dedication of farmworkers that make it all possible. From planting to harvest, their labor ensures we have food on our tables. At Philadelphia Legal Assistance, we are proud of our Pennsylvania Farmworker Project, which is dedicated to addressing the civil legal needs of farmworkers across the state. Thank you to our farmworkers! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Imagine losing your house because you couldn't afford a few hours of legal help. This is the reality for thousands of Philadelphians every year. Philadelphia Legal Assistance is there to help. From our work in eviction diversion to our representation of people at risk of foreclosure due to real estate taxes, tangled titles, and more, PLA is dedicated to doing the hard work to keep people in our community in their homes. Giving Tuesday is just one week away. When you are planning your gifts this year, please think about your neighbors who could lose their homes without accessible, creative, and high-quality legal assistance. Visit philalegal.org/donate to make your gift today.

We are pleased to announce that the Board of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) has selected Maureen Olives to serve as the next permanent Executive Director of PLA. Maureen has served as PLA’s Interim Executive Director for the past sixteen months following the illness and passing of our founding and long-time Executive Director, Anita Santos-Singh. Maureen comes to the Executive Director position with a wealth of experience in public interest service. A native of Harrisburg, PA, she began her Pennsylvania legal services career as a Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. (PLAN) Martin Luther King intern at Legal Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As a new attorney, she returned to the Wilkes-Barre program to handle SSI cases. Maureen then moved to Philadelphia to work with domestic violence survivors at both Women Against Abuse, Inc Legal Center and PLA. She served for seven years as the Director of Public Interest Programs for Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law before coming back to PLA as our Director of Intake and Service Delivery, Managing Attorney, and then Interim Executive Director. As her career demonstrates, Maureen has a deep passion for justice for low-income and historically marginalized communities. As Maureen considered her new position, she said, “I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to support PLA’s staff and engage with our stakeholders to preserve and expand our impact in serving our client community. Challenging situations are not new to us. Just like our clients, we are resilient and agile in the face of adversity. I am looking forward to leading PLA as we rise to meet this moment.” Congratulations Maureen! PLA is in good hands during this next chapter of the organization.

Congratulations to PLA's Unemployment Compensation Unit Supervising Attorney Julia Simon-Mishel for once again being named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2025. Recognition of the stellar job you do daily to help PLA clients is much deserved. Thank you for all you do to further the mission of PLA and help clients in need.

Giving Tuesday is just two weeks away! Support Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) today and help families in Philadelphia stay safe, stable, and housed. The need for legal aid in our community is critical, and your gift makes a powerful impact. For every dollar you donate, PLA provides $12 worth of vital legal services. Make your gift now: philalegal.org/donate. Thank you for standing with us to ensure access to justice for all!

We're Hiring! A career with PLA allows you to advance access to justice for low-income individuals and families in Philadelphia. We're currently hiring for: - Senior Accountant - Medical Legal Community Partnership Attorney Learn more at bit.ly/workPLA

For many Philadelphians, owning a home represents stability and community roots. But what happens when the costs of homeownership, specifically real estate taxes, become overwhelming? Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) can support individuals at risk of losing their homes due to unpaid real estate taxes. Read our new blog post at https://bit.ly/SYHPtax to learn more

Philadelphia Legal Assistance is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the William Penn Foundation to expand our unemployment compensation services for families in Philadelphia. This grant will empower PLA to make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of workers with young children, strengthening economic security for families across our community. Thank you to the William Penn Foundation for your critical support. The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/etYJgSgh