2012 Annual Report - Mazzoni Center

13
Legal Services
There is at this time no federal or Pennsylvania law expressly prohibiting discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation or general identity – nothing to ensure that LGBT individuals receive
equal treatment or enjoy equal rights when it comes to employment, housing, marriage, and
and myriad other important issues.
In the absence of guidance from
these authorities, different cities and
municipalities have begun to draft their
own legislation – with the result being a
patchwork of laws that are often confusing
and inconsistent, presenting a challenge
for LGBT individuals to navigate on
their own.
At Mazzoni Center, we believe there is a
direct relationship between recognition of
a person’s legal rights and their ability to
enjoy full health and quality of life. That’s
why our Legal Services staff zealously
advocates for the rights of our individual
clients, and for the advancement of the
legal rights of the LGBT communities
wherever possible. Our goal is to help
clients solve real life problems and receive
equal treatment through the application
and interpretation of the law, so that they
can focus their energy on leading full,
healthy lives.
We continue to be the only organization
in Pennsylvania that offers free legal
services tailored towards low-income
LGBT individuals, or those with an
annual salary below 185% of the federal
poverty guidelines.
In September 2011 we welcomed
David M. Rosenblum as our new legal
director. With an extensive background
in employment discrimination law at
the state and federal government levels,
Rosenblum has dedicated much of
his career to advocating for the rights
of LGBT individuals. This year the
legal services staff was expanded to
include a full-time staff attorney, and
was assisted by over 20 law student
interns from schools including: Drexel
University, the University of Michigan,
the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers
University-Camden, Temple University,
Villanova University, and the University
of Virginia. The internship program
not only helps to manage our growing
number of intake calls and active cases, it
also provides on-the-ground training for
these students in a rapidly evolving area
of the law. “This is the next generation of
legal professionals,” Rosenblum says, “and
through this program they are educated
on the issues that directly impact our
community - issues that have the potential
to change the civil rights landscape in the
years to come.”
The department also enjoys the support
of a 17-member volunteer Legal
Advisory Board, made up of practicing
attorneys and academicians who offer
guidance and support in matters of policy
and developing areas of the law affecting
LGBT individuals.
In FY2012 Mazzoni Center’s Legal
Services department received 509 new
intakes. The department averages 50-100
active docketed cases at any given time,