Medical legal partnerships have been established in nearly 300 health facilities in 41 different states. The mission? Improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities through the use of lawyers to address legal needs and adverse social conditions. In June 2021, Arkansas stopped participating in pandemic-based unemployment programs about two months before federal programs expired, cutting about 69,000 Arkansans off from unemployment benefits. Arkansas Legal Aid filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Arkansans who had lost state-funded unemployment benefits. We will provide updates on the steps the State of Arkansas must take to resume unemployment benefits as soon as information becomes available. In the meantime, please do not contact Arkansas Legal Aid to discuss resuming benefits. Legal Aid of Arkansas received $200,000 to integrate civil legal services as part of the Arkansas Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Protocol to integrate a targeted response to the opioid crisis. Updates on this case can be found here! arlegalaid.org/what-we-do/advocacy-work/division-of-workforce-services-case.html Legal Aid of Arkansas has entered into a new partnership with the University of Arkansas` Office of Support, Training, Advocacy, and Resources (STAR Central) to provide student survivors of sexual violence with access to legal advice and victim-centered advocacy. Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services to low-income Arkansans with civil law issues in 31 counties. In June 2021, Arkansas stopped participating in pandemic-based unemployment programs about two months before federal programs expired, cutting about 69,000 Arkansans off from unemployment benefits. Arkansas Legal Aid filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Arkansans who had lost state-funded unemployment benefits. The plaintiffs obtained a first injunction shortly thereafter, in which Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas Department of Labor Services (DWS) resumed their participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Extended Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs.
This was based on an Arkansas law that required DWS to participate in federal unemployment programs. The state appealed the decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court, preventing the resumption of benefits in the meantime. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have a civil law problem and need help. Call our helpline at 800-952-9243 or apply online at arlegalaid.org. For those interested in the lawsuit over the premature termination of the state`s federal unemployment benefits, there is big news from the Arkansas Supreme Court. The good news is that the trial can continue, so it is still possible that people may receive benefits in the future. But that`s not guaranteed. And in the short term, no one will receive benefits. Full explanation here: The Arkansas Supreme Court has rejected our urgent motion to expedite consideration of the state`s appeal against Judge Herb Wright`s order to resume federal unemployment benefits.
Last week, the Supreme Court suspended the judge`s order while the appeal is pending. Based on the usual delays, the Supreme Court is unlikely to rule on the case before December, and it could be well before 2022 before a decision is made. While the Arkansas Supreme Court was still ruling on this issue, the Arkansas Legislature convened a special session to amend the law on which our case was based. The legislature amended the law to say instead that DWS can participate in federal unemployment programs that would no longer require state participation. Lawmakers also said the law would apply retroactively, legalizing the governor`s decision to stop participating in the programs after the decision has already come into effect. «DWS has repeatedly refused to disclose documents requested through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act that could shed light on why dozens of Arkansans have not had access to unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.» The Pulaski District Court rendered a judgment in Alexander Apartments v. Little Rock. The decision included $52,000 in compensation for tenants of the Alexander Apartments resulting from the city`s illegal attempt to close the complex during Christmas week 2015. Baroni will be received by Legal Aid of Arkansas, where she will join Beyond Opioids – Breaking Legal Barriers for Families in Recovery, a collaborative project between Arkansas legal aid programs that supports people affected by the opioid crisis and other substance use disorders within the host organization.
He will be based in Newport, Arkansas. This decision would benefit the five applicants in this order and all persons enrolled in unemployment programs as of June 26, 2021. On this Law Day, Legal Aid recognizes and honors the work of outstanding volunteer lawyers George Butler, Robert «Bobby» Coleman, Ray Nickle, Matthew Kezhaya and Laura Edmondson, a law student at the University of Arkansas. These volunteer public servants dedicate time and resources to ensuring that low-income Arkansans have equal access to legal services, which often significantly improves clients` quality of life. Legal representation and support has been shown to make a crucial difference in the outcome of the case. This makes volunteers extremely valuable assets. On June 9, 2022, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a decision ordering the Arkansas Division of Labor Services to provide information about an algorithm it had implemented during the pandemic to process unemployment claims. Arkansas Legal Aid has learned that the agency has implemented an algorithm that has resulted in the unfair reporting of thousands of claims, resulting in delays ranging from six months to more than a year for benefits. We searched for information about this algorithm through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, but the state retained the algorithm, claiming it was exempt from foiA. The Arkansas Supreme Court has agreed that the information is submitted to the FOIA and must be provided. This decision is important because it helps ensure transparency on how algorithms and other technologies are used in major social safety net programs. Legal Aid of Arkansas welcomes two new lawyers, Trevor Hawkins and Sarah Barnett, to celebrate the New Year.
Access to legal representation is critical to quality of life, so every addition to the legal aid team can be seen as a step toward improving communities and better Arkansas. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) and Legal Aid of Arkansas have received a total of $2 million in grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration to provide free legal services to families affected by the opioid epidemic. The state appealed the judge`s decision ordering the state to pay federal unemployment benefits and asked the Arkansas Supreme Court to stay the judge`s decision. We are waiting for the Decision of the Supreme Court. In addition, the governor convened the Arkansas General Assembly for a special session to pass a bill to undermine the judge`s decision. For these reasons, we cannot say when payments will begin. Payments may never resume. Arkansas Legal Aid once again participated in Arkansas Back to School Awareness Week by hosting events in Fayetteville, Mountain Home, Berryville, Mountain View, Searcy, Jonesboro, Fort Smith, Clarksville, Mena, Conway, Little Rock, Forrest City, West Memphis, Malvern, Pine Bluff, Stuttgart, Monticello, El Dorado, Camden, Magnolia, Texarkana, Batesville, Paragould, Rogers, Harrison, Russellville, Hot Springs, Newport, Osceola, Blytheville, Arkadelphia and North Little Rock. More information on these events is available on www.dcc.arkansas.gov/reentry-awareness-week. While the American Rescue Plan has provided federal funding to continue extending benefits and the additional $300 per week until September 4, 2021, Arkansas has announced that it will not implement these pandemic unemployment programs beyond June 26, 2021.
For more information on what this means, see below. Legal Aid of Arkansas is hosting a free national symposium on Wednesday, Jan. 29 to show how legal services can help people with opioid or substance use disorder and their families. Arkansas Legal Aid recognizes the legal problems that arise from tornado damage in a community. Legal aid can help ensure that the recent tornadoes in northeast Arkansas are affected by those affected. The destruction caused by tornadoes in Harrisburg and Jonesboro affected the homes, businesses and lives of so many people. Because of the damage, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said it was a disaster area of the state, and here are some resources that can help those in need of recreation.