Opinion pieces take center stage, and legal aid for immigrant families commands media spotlight

August 21, 2018 - 5:33 pm

The op-ed pages of print and online media outlets provide an important platform for us to speak in our own voices about the connection between civil legal aid and current events. In recent weeks, Voices helped JusticeVoices network members bring legal aid into current media conversations about issues as varied as state budget-setting, the opioid crisis, sexual assault in the military, human trafficking, veteran homelessness, immigration policy, school and workplace discrimination, and public service loan forgiveness. Here are some highlights:

Legal aid for immigrant families commands media spotlight

JusticeVoices network members at Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia) and Philadelphia Legal Assistance answered our call for stories about the importance of legal help in addressing family separation. CBS This Morning, CNN, and CNN Espanol all covered LAJC attorney Sophia Gregg’s successful effort to reunite two asylum-seeking families. PLA attorney Susan Pearlstein’s op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer brought attention to how the lack of legal help inflicts trauma on families separated by the civil justice system in foster care and child custody situations.