Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
@clsphila.bsky.social
Our mission is to fight poverty, challenge systems that perpetuate injustice, and change lives through cutting-edge advocacy & exceptional legal representation.
www.clsphila.org
www.clsphila.org
Since the Eviction Diversion Program began in 2020:
The program has served a total of 87,703 landlord-tenant pairs in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Landlord-Tenant court filings are down 36%.
Landlords and tenants reached 8,170 pre-court agreements with 70.6% of mediations resulting in an agreement.
The program has served a total of 87,703 landlord-tenant pairs in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Landlord-Tenant court filings are down 36%.
Landlords and tenants reached 8,170 pre-court agreements with 70.6% of mediations resulting in an agreement.
November 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Since the Eviction Diversion Program began in 2020:
The program has served a total of 87,703 landlord-tenant pairs in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Landlord-Tenant court filings are down 36%.
Landlords and tenants reached 8,170 pre-court agreements with 70.6% of mediations resulting in an agreement.
The program has served a total of 87,703 landlord-tenant pairs in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Landlord-Tenant court filings are down 36%.
Landlords and tenants reached 8,170 pre-court agreements with 70.6% of mediations resulting in an agreement.
We’re celebrating the accomplishments of the Eviction Diversion Program in Philadelphia over the past five years!
CLS helped implement the program, and we continue to provide trainings, technical expertise, and support to the housing counselors in the program.
CLS helped implement the program, and we continue to provide trainings, technical expertise, and support to the housing counselors in the program.
November 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
We’re celebrating the accomplishments of the Eviction Diversion Program in Philadelphia over the past five years!
CLS helped implement the program, and we continue to provide trainings, technical expertise, and support to the housing counselors in the program.
CLS helped implement the program, and we continue to provide trainings, technical expertise, and support to the housing counselors in the program.
Congratulations to CLS attorney Louise Hayes on winning the Philadelphia Bar Foundation award! Louise is a nationally recognized SNAP expert and has represented 2,000+ clients so they & their families can access & maintain a range of public benefits including SNAP, Medicaid & TANF cash assistance.
November 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Congratulations to CLS attorney Louise Hayes on winning the Philadelphia Bar Foundation award! Louise is a nationally recognized SNAP expert and has represented 2,000+ clients so they & their families can access & maintain a range of public benefits including SNAP, Medicaid & TANF cash assistance.
Last month at the NLADA Conference, Supervising Attorney in the SSI Unit and Language Access Project Chi-Ser Tran presented on a panel called “Walking the Talk: Advancing Language Justice in Legal Services Organizations – Ethical Imperatives in a Changing Landscape.”
November 13, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Last month at the NLADA Conference, Supervising Attorney in the SSI Unit and Language Access Project Chi-Ser Tran presented on a panel called “Walking the Talk: Advancing Language Justice in Legal Services Organizations – Ethical Imperatives in a Changing Landscape.”
The @phillybarassoc.bsky.social Bar Reporter has a special #probonospotlight this week! Click through to read about Lanique Roberts's path to CLS's Justice Rising Advocates and her reflections on volunteering at our Clean Slate Clinics. philadelphiabar.org?pg=ThePhilad...
October 22, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The @phillybarassoc.bsky.social Bar Reporter has a special #probonospotlight this week! Click through to read about Lanique Roberts's path to CLS's Justice Rising Advocates and her reflections on volunteering at our Clean Slate Clinics. philadelphiabar.org?pg=ThePhilad...
Starting in October 2025, the Pennsylvania Prison Society is offering safe, affordable bus rides from Philadelphia to four state prisons — SCI Benner, SCI Frackville, SCI Mahanoy, and SCI Muncy. Visits to these institutions are critical to keeping families together, including CLS clients.
September 23, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Starting in October 2025, the Pennsylvania Prison Society is offering safe, affordable bus rides from Philadelphia to four state prisons — SCI Benner, SCI Frackville, SCI Mahanoy, and SCI Muncy. Visits to these institutions are critical to keeping families together, including CLS clients.
Applications are now open for our summer law student internship program! Interns will receive exceptional training and the opportunity to work with some of the most talented legal minds in civil legal services.
Learn more about the internship and apply at clsphila.org/careers.
Learn more about the internship and apply at clsphila.org/careers.
September 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Applications are now open for our summer law student internship program! Interns will receive exceptional training and the opportunity to work with some of the most talented legal minds in civil legal services.
Learn more about the internship and apply at clsphila.org/careers.
Learn more about the internship and apply at clsphila.org/careers.
Mira Sydow, Tangled Title Paralegal in the Homeownership & Consumer Rights Unit, explained how having a will can protect your family home, and shared information about how to start the process of creating one.
September 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Mira Sydow, Tangled Title Paralegal in the Homeownership & Consumer Rights Unit, explained how having a will can protect your family home, and shared information about how to start the process of creating one.
Thank you to Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for hosting a Wills Workshop with us last week, in collaboration with Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. and the City of Philadelphia Register of Wills.
September 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Thank you to Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for hosting a Wills Workshop with us last week, in collaboration with Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr. and the City of Philadelphia Register of Wills.
Thank you to Councilmembers Rue Landau and Nina Ahmad for hosting us for a constituent services training session about helping Philadelphians navigate the new SNAP work requirements.
September 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Thank you to Councilmembers Rue Landau and Nina Ahmad for hosting us for a constituent services training session about helping Philadelphians navigate the new SNAP work requirements.
Find out if you may able to get your record cleared to open the door to new employment opportunities! Check out mycleanslatepa.org
If your record can’t be sealed and you need to apply for a pardon, there’s good news! The Board of Pardons recently launched a new, easy, online application: bop.pa.gov
If your record can’t be sealed and you need to apply for a pardon, there’s good news! The Board of Pardons recently launched a new, easy, online application: bop.pa.gov
September 3, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Find out if you may able to get your record cleared to open the door to new employment opportunities! Check out mycleanslatepa.org
If your record can’t be sealed and you need to apply for a pardon, there’s good news! The Board of Pardons recently launched a new, easy, online application: bop.pa.gov
If your record can’t be sealed and you need to apply for a pardon, there’s good news! The Board of Pardons recently launched a new, easy, online application: bop.pa.gov
Join us for a webinar with the Urban League of Philadelphia about the impact of H.R.1 and the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid Thursday, August 21, from 1-2pm on Zoom. This will be a non-partisan space to learn, connect, and prepare for collective action. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
August 20, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Join us for a webinar with the Urban League of Philadelphia about the impact of H.R.1 and the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid Thursday, August 21, from 1-2pm on Zoom. This will be a non-partisan space to learn, connect, and prepare for collective action. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Pennsylvania has the lowest minimum wage out of any state in our region. A living wage helps families, businesses, and the economy. That's why we support #RaiseTheWage
July 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Pennsylvania has the lowest minimum wage out of any state in our region. A living wage helps families, businesses, and the economy. That's why we support #RaiseTheWage
The Family Advocacy Unit at CLS provides support and services to families affected by the child welfare system, working every day to bring families back together and prevent removal in the first place.
June 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The Family Advocacy Unit at CLS provides support and services to families affected by the child welfare system, working every day to bring families back together and prevent removal in the first place.
This week, CLS Managing Attorney for the Employment Unit and Youth Justice Project Jamie Gullen provided testimony in support of crucial updates to Philadelphia’s Fair Chance Hiring Law.
June 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This week, CLS Managing Attorney for the Employment Unit and Youth Justice Project Jamie Gullen provided testimony in support of crucial updates to Philadelphia’s Fair Chance Hiring Law.
Protect Medicaid and SNAP from cuts. Call your Congress members today at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to reject work requirements!
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Protect Medicaid and SNAP from cuts. Call your Congress members today at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to reject work requirements!
Medicaid work requirements and more renewals will terminate health care for:
• Seniors in nursing homes
• Families
• Caregivers
• People fighting cancer
• Workers who get laid off
• Gig and freelance workers
• Seniors in nursing homes
• Families
• Caregivers
• People fighting cancer
• Workers who get laid off
• Gig and freelance workers
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Medicaid work requirements and more renewals will terminate health care for:
• Seniors in nursing homes
• Families
• Caregivers
• People fighting cancer
• Workers who get laid off
• Gig and freelance workers
• Seniors in nursing homes
• Families
• Caregivers
• People fighting cancer
• Workers who get laid off
• Gig and freelance workers
Work requirements are just cuts by another name. They are expensive and unworkable. There is no surefire way to exempt older adults and people with disabilities from work requirements, so if there are SNAP work requirements, everyone on SNAP is at risk of losing their benefits.
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Work requirements are just cuts by another name. They are expensive and unworkable. There is no surefire way to exempt older adults and people with disabilities from work requirements, so if there are SNAP work requirements, everyone on SNAP is at risk of losing their benefits.
Most adults with these benefits already work. This will only:
• Add more burdensome paperwork.
• Add more red tape by forcing you to prove that you're working or unable to work.
• Overload county assistance offices, increasing your wait times.
• Result in you losing healthcare when you lose your job
• Add more burdensome paperwork.
• Add more red tape by forcing you to prove that you're working or unable to work.
• Overload county assistance offices, increasing your wait times.
• Result in you losing healthcare when you lose your job
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Most adults with these benefits already work. This will only:
• Add more burdensome paperwork.
• Add more red tape by forcing you to prove that you're working or unable to work.
• Overload county assistance offices, increasing your wait times.
• Result in you losing healthcare when you lose your job
• Add more burdensome paperwork.
• Add more red tape by forcing you to prove that you're working or unable to work.
• Overload county assistance offices, increasing your wait times.
• Result in you losing healthcare when you lose your job
Congress has proposed deep cuts to Medicaid & SNAP that would take away health care and nutrition assistance. These cuts include adding even more paperwork requirements including work requirements and more frequent renewals. Medicaid & SNAP work requirements are cuts to healthcare & food assistance.
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Congress has proposed deep cuts to Medicaid & SNAP that would take away health care and nutrition assistance. These cuts include adding even more paperwork requirements including work requirements and more frequent renewals. Medicaid & SNAP work requirements are cuts to healthcare & food assistance.
Do you or someone you know get health insurance from the County Assistance Office? Do you or a loved one get home care services? Do you or someone you know receive SNAP? Your benefits may be at risk!
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Do you or someone you know get health insurance from the County Assistance Office? Do you or a loved one get home care services? Do you or someone you know receive SNAP? Your benefits may be at risk!
On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that seeks to cut billions of dollars from Medicaid and SNAP. The bill now moves to the Senate. Your voice is more important than ever.
June 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that seeks to cut billions of dollars from Medicaid and SNAP. The bill now moves to the Senate. Your voice is more important than ever.
CLS attorney Kate Dugan spoke in support of new legislation introduced this morning by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson. The law would permit victims of deed fraud to receive refunds of the transfer taxes paid by scammers. Under current law, victims are not entitled to petition for this money.
May 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
CLS attorney Kate Dugan spoke in support of new legislation introduced this morning by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson. The law would permit victims of deed fraud to receive refunds of the transfer taxes paid by scammers. Under current law, victims are not entitled to petition for this money.
Pennsylvania has a new consumer protection hotline and website to protect Pennsylvanians from financial, insurance, and consumer scams. If you have been scammed, this one-stop shop resource may be able to help you!
Call: 1-866-PA-COMPLAINT
Visit pa.gov/consumer
Call: 1-866-PA-COMPLAINT
Visit pa.gov/consumer
May 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Pennsylvania has a new consumer protection hotline and website to protect Pennsylvanians from financial, insurance, and consumer scams. If you have been scammed, this one-stop shop resource may be able to help you!
Call: 1-866-PA-COMPLAINT
Visit pa.gov/consumer
Call: 1-866-PA-COMPLAINT
Visit pa.gov/consumer
The Rowhouse Protection Project works with residents whose homes are, or are about to be, impacted by adjacent construction. We educate residents about their rights & help them assert those rights to ensure their homes are protected or made whole. clsphila.org/services/housing/rowhouse-protection/
May 14, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The Rowhouse Protection Project works with residents whose homes are, or are about to be, impacted by adjacent construction. We educate residents about their rights & help them assert those rights to ensure their homes are protected or made whole. clsphila.org/services/housing/rowhouse-protection/