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Community Legal Clinic starts mobile senior clinics, seeks to expand services after partner funding cuts
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Summary
The CLC reported new mobile clinics at senior centers, plans for an elder-justice training in September, a QR-code intake pilot, and donations of office cubicles from Ernst & Young; managers said they may expand civil-services offerings due to funding losses at Guam Legal Services and Micronesian Legal Services.
Carol, managing attorney for the Community Legal Clinic (CLC), told the Public Defender Service Corporation board on June 24 that CLC launched mobile clinics this month to provide services at senior centers and is piloting online intake via a QR code.
"So CLC, we've been quite busy. Of course, as part of the fiftieth Jubilee, we've started our mobile clinics where we're going out into the community and actually doing the services at our senior centers," Carol said. The mobile clinics will continue for the coming month and CLC staff plan to capture separate statistics for field services.
Carol said CLC plans a training and stakeholder luncheon on elder justice and civil legal needs, in coordination with the Guam Bar, slated for September pending advisory-commission review. The training will cover elder-abuse recognition, the recently enacted TOD-related statute (transfer-on-death), estate-planning options and program priorities.
The CLC managing attorney reported operational support from private donations: "We did get donations on our office space... from Ernst & Young," she said, noting donated cubicle furniture. CLC also reported receiving a $100 donation from a client, which it will earmark for elder services.
Carol said Guam Legal Services and Micronesian Legal Services have experienced federal grant reductions — Micronesian Legal Services reported a 10% cut and anticipates an additional 30% reduction — prompting CLC to consider expanding into uncontested civil matters such as divorce and custody for income-eligible clients. Any expansion would be brought to the board for approval and would be contingent on funding and the constitution of the incoming board if Bill 97-38 is enacted.
Board members said they will monitor the situation and noted the board may need to address expansion requests after the legislative session and formation of the new board.
Separately, trustees and staff discussed planning for the PDSC fiftieth-anniversary program; staff said invitations and agenda items are in draft and that invitations to the Supreme Court and other stakeholders will be rechecked to ensure they were sent.
