Partnerships in Law and Aging Program
A project of the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging
and the ABA Commission on Law and Aging

The ABA Commission on Law and Aging and the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging are pleased to announce the 2004-2005 Partnerships in Law and Aging Program awards.
For six years, the program has awarded up to ten $7,500 grants annually to bar associations, legal services providers and other organizations to encourage the development of collaborative, law-related projects designed to enhance the legal knowledge and awareness of older adults and improve their access to the justice system. Descriptions of previously funded projects are available on the Commission website at http://www.abanet.org/aging. Select “Partnerships in Law and Aging Program” on the left side of the page.
Please note that we are considering changes to program priorities, grant amounts, and project lengths based on a recent evaluation. As a result we will not issue the Request for Proposals until December 2004. We will announce our plans in more detail as time approaches, and will post information on Elderbar and other Commission listservs, legal services listservs, and on the ABA Commission and Borchard Center websites.
You will find below a list of organizations funded this year and their partners, plus a description of the projects. Projects will begin April 1, 2004. Congratulations to all!

Grantees 2004-2005

Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Fair Housing Law Project
111 West Saint John Street, Suite 315
San Jose, CA 95113
Fair Lending Outreach for Elders
Enhance elder awareness of predatory lending; educate elder service providers; improve victim access to legal system; and provide results to serve as a catalyst for development of resources and replication in other geographic areas.
Partners: Senior Adults Legal Assistance; Dept. of Housing, City of San Jose; AARP State Office.

Greater Boston Legal Services
197 Friend Street
Boston MA 02114
The LGBT Elder Legal Rights Initiative
Address unique legal issues faced by low-income lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) senior citizens by providing tools to address significant legal issues that will arise as a result of the historic ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court giving same sex couples the right to marry, and helping to address myriad of other legal problems faced by unmarried LGBT seniors.
Partners: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Aging Project; ETHOS

Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City
49 West 45th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Legal Training Clinics for Seniors and Senior Providers
In partnership with private elder law firm, train case managers in NYC on details of Medicaid home care eligibility by developing materials and conducting training programs for case management staff.
Partners: Freedman and Fish, LLP

Lutheran Community Services Northwest
3600 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98663
Hispanic Outreach on Law and Aging Project (HOLA)
Spanish-language seminars and written materials on law-related topics for older persons, with seminars to be broadcast on local cable access television station.
Partners: Spanish language media, aging services, legal services, police, housing authority.

The Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina, Inc.
216 West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Help for the Elderly Law Project (HELP)
Partner with local law firm and law school clinic to prepare wills, powers of attorney and advance directives for low-income seniors.
Partners: Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC; The Elder Law Clinic; Senior Services; Senior Financial Care; The Community Partnership for the End of Life Care

Jewish Family and Children’s Services
2150 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Improving Care for Unbefriended Elderly in San Francisco County
Work with medical, legal and social service communities to develop a bioethics committee and explore alternatives other than guardianship for making medical decisions on behalf of unbefriended elders - those with diminished capacity but no family or friends to help them.
Partners: The San Francisco Consortium for Elder Abuse Prevention; the Ombudsman Program of San Francisco; Legal Assistance to the Elderly; Laguna Honda Hospital (a 1200-bed public nursing home).

North Mississippi Rural Legal Services
P.O. Box 767
Oxford, MS 38665
Health Care Resource Manual Project
Develop Health Care Resource Manual describing coverage, application and contact information, eligibility requirements, and appeal rights, for Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap, private health insurance, prescription drug assistance programs, and other sources of health assistance.
Partners: University of Mississippi Civil Legal Clinic; Dept of Human Services Div. of Aging and Adult Services; Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging

Center for Disability and Elder Law
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60610
Anti-Predatory Lending Task Force Program Implementation
Develop materials to implement recommendations of a citywide Anti-Predatory Lending Task Force, to educate potential victims; create a voluntary compliance program for lenders so that borrowers know where to safely borrow; and create a citywide policy to combat predatory lending.
Partners: Chicago Department on Aging

Atlanta Legal Aid Society
151 Spring Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Mobile Law Units Project
Expand services of new Mobile Law Unit by recruiting and training Asian Pacific American Bar Association members to provide pro bono outreach and legal services to seniors with language and mobility barriers in appropriate Asian languages.
Partners: Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc; Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Shreveport Bar Association Pro Bono Project
401 Market Street, Suite 950
Shreveport, LA 71104
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Assistance Program
Provide grandparents raising grandchildren with pro bono legal advice/representation in guardianship, custody, adoption and related matters. Draft guide to basic legal information and resources.
Partners: North Louisiana Legal Services; Caddo Juvenile Court; Caddo Council on Aging; Governor's Office on Elderly Affairs.