Some Immigrants Choose Between Food Stamps and a Green Card
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Lourdes Juarez has lived in North Carolina since 2000, working part-time to help children with disabilities improve their motor skills. Originally from Mexico, she is now a lawful permanent resident of the United States with plans to apply for citizenship.
After bouts of pancreatic and liver cancer left her struggling with medical debt, she learned that she qualified for Medicaid, the government health program for low-income people. But she had a nagging concern that accepting government benefits would affect her chances of gaining citizenship. She had heard rumors to that effect among her friends and in the news.
Juarez’s fear reflects the growing sense among immigrants that they should avoid public programs, which also include food stamps and certain housing programs, in case they count against their ability to stay in the country permanently. In December, Juarez called the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, which reassured her that her citizenship would not be affected if she enrolled in Medicaid. Only then did Jaurez relax and sign up.
The Mecklenburg Access to Justice Pro Bono Partners Program of Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and Legal Aid of North Carolina-Charlotte is pleased to recognize our committed pro bono attorneys on its annual Pro Bono Honor Roll.
Download a copy of the Pro Bono Honor Roll 2019
This list recognizes local attorneys who donated at least 20 hours of service or closed three or more cases for our clients in 2018.
Thank you to these dedicated legal professionals who have given their time and expertise to serve our community!
Each of you has played a key role in helping our agencies ensure ALL people have access to justice through legal representation.
Stephen D. Allred Blas P. Arroyo Keith F. Atkinson Patricia V. Baker Linda Elise Boss Barry S. Burke William M. Butler Jazmin G. Caldwell Emily Lynn Cantrell Avery Devin Catlin L. Cameron Caudle Jr. P. Mercer Cauley Graham H. Claybrook Shelly Davis Cole G. Lee Cory Alexander Carter Covington Robert Kader Crawford Matthew H. Crow Josef C. Culik Heather W. Culp Joshua D. Davey Stephen Thomas Denmark Kathleen H. Dooley Timothy Scott Emry Landon S. Eustache John A. Fagg Jr. Ramona Farzad Daniel J. Finegan Walter D. Fisher Jr. Douglas R. Ghidina David P. Ginzer Christian K. Glista Kimberly A. Gossage Stephanie E. Greer Fulcher
David Alan Griffin Ariel E. Harris Alexandra Jacqueline Hirsch Brett Alan Hubler Fielding E. Huseth Ann-Rose Marie Johnson-Lewis David H. Jones Stuart Manly Jones Jr. Michael Todd Kafka Amy P. Kaplan Christopher B. Karlsson Glenn E. Ketner III Heryka Rodriguez Knoespel Glenn G. Kunkes Nicholas H. Lee Francisco J. Linares Howard Michael Lintz Allan J. MacQuarrie Jasmine Chloe Marchant Thomas E. McNeill Graham Strowd Miller Eric William Mills Molly Elizabeth Morgan Robert A. Muckenfuss Amanda J. Muehlhausen Elizabeth A. Murphy Thomas W. Murrell III Amanda Pickens Nitto Nancy Black Norelli Paul J. Osowski Fern A. Paterson Kim Brett Perez Kathleen Elizabeth Perkins Sean F. Perrin
Henry N. Pharr III Kevin Lee Pratt Amanda Katherine Reasoner Alexis N. Reynolds Garry S. Rice Alice Carmichael Richey Patrick L. Ridinger Susan Courtwright Rodriguez Melissa A. Romanzo Frederic Hilton Schilling Jonathan E. Schulz Ty Edwin Shaffer Raleigh A. Shoemaker Matthew R. Smith Benjamin A. Snyder Eric S. Spengler Paul A. Steffens Ryan Paul Thompson Jeremy Bryant Tomes Lauren Tonon Nicolas Evan Tosco Leslie Campbell Tucker III Karen Vasko Richard William Veronen Jr. H. Landis Wade Jr. Ann L. Warren Kathryn G. Wellman Abigail Forrister Williams Susan Brown Wolfe David Scott Wolpa Julia Kay Wood Richard Charles Worf Jr. Julian H. Wright Jr. Nancy M. Wright
North Carolina attorney volunteers! Be sure to report your pro bono hours to the N.C. Pro Bono Resource Center to be recognized with your colleagues statewide for your service. Visit ncprobono.org/volunteer/ to learn more about the N.C. Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1 and statewide pro bono initiatives.
Attorneys who report at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services in a year will be inducted into the NC Pro Bono Honor Society and receive a certificate from the Supreme Court of North Carolina recognizing their service. Check out this year’s cohort of inductees! Learn more at ncprobono.org.
