Mazzoni Center is a nonprofit organization which focuses on the health, wellness, and legal needs of the , , bisexual, , and (LGBTQ) community. Mazzoni Center Legal Services provides direct legal assistance to low-income LGBTQ individuals in a wide range of areas, including elder issues, employment , family law/parenting issues, name changes, relationship recognition and dissolution, advanced planning, and youth concerns. Our legal clinic’s help line handles approximately five hundred calls annually from LGBTQ individuals in Pennsylvania, most of whom are low-income. Our program depends on law student interns; without their contributions to our program, the people who contact us would have great difficulty accessing the legal information and services meeting their needs.

Our laws student interns are supervised by Mazzoni’s Staff Attorney, Iveliz R. Crespo Esq., and its Legal and Public Policy Director, Thomas W. Ude, Jr. Under their direction, law student interns perform legal research and writing work related to the direct legal services that we provide, including legal research and writing, public education and outreach and policy reform efforts. The matters that our legal services program handles encompass a broad range of legal issues, including the following areas: family law (including custody, support, adoption and dissolution for LGBTQ people); hate crimes; LGBT youth law; advance planning for LGBT individuals, couples and families; and employment law, including claims under federal, state and local antidiscrimination laws. We also represent individuals in cases that may impact LGBTQ rights throughout Pennsylvania.

Through the assistance of law student interns, our legal services program is able to manage the growing volume of intakes and cases that comprise our caseload, including matters that involve precedent-setting legal issues. Law student interns interact directly with LGBTQ clients to gather information about their circumstances and the relevant law, and to help evaluate whether and how Mazzoni Center can address their legal needs. Interns respond to requests for general information and for referrals, conduct legal research, draft legal documents on behalf of clients, assist attorneys in case preparation, and develop public education materials. Mazzoni Center is also actively involved in identifying and advocating for policies that can positively affect the rights of LGBTQ individuals, providing our law student interns the opportunity to research existing and new policy initiatives and evaluate the effects of current policy. In summary, our law student interns gain familiarity with the ways in which the legal system addresses needs that are LGBTQ-specific.

1348 Bainbridge Street | , PA 19147 | Ph: (215) 563-0657 www.mazzonicenter.org