United Way helps Legal Aid

Date: 06/05/2005

Edition: Wisconsin
Section: Tri-state
Page: A13
Story type: Current

Photo Caption: Mug - Judie Root

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United Way helps Legal Aid
by MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON



Judie Root knows what her life would be like today if not for the assistance of Iowa Legal Aid.
"If they had not stepped in, I would be homeless," said Root, who formed a residents' association and waged a battle against the owners of the Dubuque trailer park where she lives. In all her legal dealings, she was represented by an attorney from the Dubuque office of Iowa Legal Aid and she won at every turn.
"We desperately need legal aid, so that everybody has the opportunity to be represented by a good lawyer," she said. "I'm sure there are more people like me, who can't afford legal representation otherwise."
Iowa Legal Aid does not handle criminal cases, only civil matters.
Clients must meet certain low-income guidelines and cases are prioritized according to importance.
"Anything to do with health, safety, survival - these are the highest priority cases," said Natalia Blaskovich, a staff attorney in the Dubuque Iowa Legal Aid office, one of 10 such centers in the state. Dubuque's office serves clients in eight northeast Iowa counties.
Fully a third of the Legal Aid cases involves domestic abuse, she said.
Veterans, senior citizens and women with children make up the majority of the office's client base. Blaskovich, one of two staff attorneys in the office, estimates she has 50 to 75 open cases at any given time. State funding cuts halved the Dubuque office staff last year.
"Some cases are simple, others are complicated. We offer a much speedier process, because of the volume we do," she said.
Root praised her experience of being represented by Iowa Legal Aid staff attorney Steve Drahozal.
"He was patient and clear and explained things in terms I could understand," she said.
The Dubuque office of Iowa Legal Aid is partially funded by the United Way, said Gail Klearman, of the state office.
"It is a vital funding source. When we were in a financial crisis some years back and it looked like we would have to close some offices, the United Way stepped in and helped keep us open," she said.
United Way has pledged $19,000 for the upcoming fiscal year budget, representing 8.5 percent of the Dubuque office's budget, Klearman said.
The office also receives funding from two area agencies on aging, the Internal Revenue Service, the state of Iowa and the national Legal Services Corporation.


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