LSHV awarded $10,000 grant from American College of Bankruptcy

WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to those that cannot afford it in the seven counties of the lower and mid-Hudson Valley, was awarded a $10,000 grant from the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation to build on to build on projects funded by the Foundation last year.

Assistance in seeking Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief is one of the most common requests from clients in LSHV’s seven-county area. Since LSHV does not have a bankruptcy unit, cases are referred to the Pro Bono Unit who places them with volunteer attorneys. The process of filing for a Chapter 7 discharge is complicated and virtually impossible for a pro se (self-represented) client to navigate, therefore, help from pro bono attorneys is essential and invaluable to bankruptcy clients.

Last year, the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation awarded LSHV a $10,000 grant to enable LSHV to hire a professional videographer to create and edit a videotape of a presentation by pro bono bankruptcy attorneys to explain the step-by-step process for filing a pro se Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. In addition, the grant funded the creation of a training manual for pro bono attorneys to provide one-on-one assistance to LSHV clients.

The 2017 grant will enable LSHV to collaborate with local bankruptcy courts, bar associations and community partners in an effort to recruit and train more pro bono attorneys to assist with bankruptcy cases throughout the Hudson Valley.

For more information about LSHV and the work that it does in the lower and mid-Hudson Valley, visit www.lshv.org.

American College of Bankruptcy Foundation Mission Statement

The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary public service association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals who are invited to join as Fellows based on a proven record of the highest standards of professionalism plus service to the profession and their communities. Together with its affiliated Foundation, the College is the largest financial supporter of bankruptcy and insolvency-related pro bono legal service programs in the United States. Among its many activities, the College conducts advanced educational programs; sponsors the publication of scholarly reports; and maintains the National Bankruptcy Archives at the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit www.americancollegeofbankruptc....