Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy believes our community deserves access to:

A Fair and Just Legal System

• Advocate to preserve and increase funding for critical civil legal services throughout North Carolina to allow meaningful access to the justice system
• Protect due process rights for people in civil and administrative proceedings through advocacy, court observation, and direct representation
• Promote universal representation in civil legal matters

Affordable Health Care  

• Advocate for equitable implementation of new policies to minimize the impact of recent changes to health care laws for North Carolinians
• Ensure that stakeholders and community partners are informed, empowered, and actively engaged in understanding changes to health care laws
• Monitor the implementation and assess the performance of the Medicaid Children and Families Specialty Plan to ensure it effectively serves children in foster care

Economic Opportunity and Family Stability

• Advocate for state legislative efforts to expand exemptions to provide North Carolina families with protections from debt collection
• Increase protections and legal representation for consumers from predatory used-car sale transactions and car title fraud to ensure reliable and safe transportation and to protect family income and assets
• Track changes to public benefits policy, share critical updates, and ensure clear, accurate communication with impacted communities
• Protect immigrants’ access to public benefits in North Carolina by safeguarding their legal rights and ensuring equitable treatment
• Advocate for the extension of enhanced Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and tax law changes that benefit low-income taxpayers

Affordable Housing and Employment

• Strengthen common sense consumer protections in the law to protect homeowners from abusive Homeowner Association (HOA) and HOA management company debt collection, fine, and foreclosure practices to preserve existing affordable housing
• Increase protected home equity by pushing for legislative change to the North Carolina Homestead Exemption law (NCGS §1C-1601(a)(1)) to preserve affordable housing and generational wealth
• Advocate for state and local legislation to expand property tax relief for seniors with low income, disabled veterans, and longtime homeowners to preserve affordable housing and family assets
• Reduce the impact of prior evictions on veterans’ ability to access affordable and stable housing
• Address the prevalence of homelessness and housing instability among veterans by advocating for improved coordination of services and resources among veteran support agencies and court systems
• Work to increase stability (including eviction diversion), for under-resourced populations, including, but not limited to, veterans, domestic violence survivors, seniors, and immigrants

Food Security

• Track issues in the implementation of new federal laws related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
• Advocate for North Carolina policies that streamline and simplify the application and recertification processes for Food and Nutrition Services and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Pathways to Lawful Status

• Advocate for the immigrant population by representing them in immigration removal proceedings before Immigration Court and submit applications for immigration relief to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• Educate legal and community stakeholders about how judicial orders in North Carolina state courts can directly impact a child’s eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), ensuring that vulnerable immigrant children are not denied protection due to lack of awareness or procedural barriers
• Educate local communities about rights and privileges associated with humanitarian pathways to lawful status, permanent residency, family unity, and citizenship

Protection from Abuse and Exploitation

• Protect families against predatory real estate equity scams that steal generational wealth by educating the public and advocating for homeowners’ rights
• Advocate for legislative protections to combat predatory automobile towing practices
• Educate and empower veterans on how to avoid scams and address problematic and predatory debt collection efforts
• Protect immigrant communities from exploitation, trafficking, and abuse through education and direct representation

Quality Education for Children

• Increase collaboration among judicial, education, and child welfare stakeholders to improve educational outcomes for students in foster care
• Advocate for changes to North Carolina policy to improve educational outcomes for students in foster care
• Empower students and families to understand their education rights and effectively advocate for students
• Increase access to legal representation in special education, Section 504, and school discipline matters