Cassandra Carsrud, 2L
Christian Legal Aid, Los Angeles
Have you ever had an eye-opening experience? One where you didn’t
realize that your eyes were closed until you learned something new about the
world around you? I have.
This summer, my eyes have been opened to the practical needs of the
poor. In west LA, only miles away from homes that sell for millions of dollars,
an impoverished community struggles with simple challenges every single day. Justice
is practically inaccessible for impoverished people who have civil cases in
California. The state will provide a public defender in criminal cases, but
what about the civil cases?
Too often, the widow and the orphan are rejected because of improperly
filed paperwork. The mentally ill are turned away because they lack
understanding of how to file their case. The elderly don’t know how to make
their case when they are taken advantage of by creditors or when Social
Security tells them they have been overpaid by error and must give thousands of
dollars back. Justice is frustrated when people lack an advocate.
One day, “Hannah”, came into our office after going to court by herself
to try and change a previous custody order denying her visitation with two of
her children. Another relative had full custody of the children because the
court found that it was not in the children’s best interest to visit with
either parent. In reaction to suffering abuse at home, she had struggled with
drug addictions and depression. However, between the previous court order and
her recent hearing, Hannah’s life had changed. The judge had previously denied
her custody and visitation with her children until she could pull herself
together by participating in therapy and parenting classes. Since then, she had
completed dozens of parenting classes, support groups, and therapy
sessions…much more than the court had ordered. She had gone to a Christian
church, and her life had been changed.
When Hannah went to court to check in and present this information to
the judge, she thought it would be easier to explain to the judge than it was.
When she began to speak to the judge, she was so overcome with emotion that she
could not clearly articulate her case and the judge did not change his previous
order. Out of concern, he also called Child Protective Services (CPS), who
investigated whether she was a fit mother to care for the baby girl, “Ruth”,
she currently had custody of. CPS found her fully capable of parenting Ruth and
returned Ruth to her. Hannah came to our office shaken and burdened by the
situation. At CLA-LA we helped her file a request to change court order based
on a change in circumstances. As she told us her story, we wrote a clear,
articulate declaration to the court, explaining all of the ways her life has
changed since the judge’s previous order.
This time, when Hannah goes to court, she will not have to do it alone.
Stories like this all summer long have revealed the needs all around me.
Yet even more importantly, I have begun to learn how much can be done about it.
Before this summer, I had never seen tears coming down a woman’s face after
praying with her, asking God to take care of her, give her strength, and fight
on her behalf. I had never seen gratitude on a man’s face after I had helped
him prepare a simple declaration to the court. Before this summer, I used to
take my computer for granted…when I didn’t realize that hundreds of people
don’t have access to the internet, a word processor, and a printer.
Law is not just a battle of the forms. It is a spiritual and emotional
battle against fear, depression, and isolation. CLA-LA’s legal aid model has allowed
me to act as an encourager, advocate, and prayer warrior, enabling people to go
forward and access justice that they were unable to achieve alone. I am so
grateful to be a part of the difference CLA-LA is making in Los Angeles,
California.
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