Kitch attorneys reinforced their dedication to community involvement and assisting those in need by volunteering their legal services and advice through a variety of opportunities and clinics throughout Michigan.

Kitch is committed to assisting those in need of volunteer legal services in the communities we serve. We are glad to share with you some of our more recent efforts to give a helping hand up.

Project H.E.L.P.

In November 2018, Kitch attorneys returned to Pope Francis Center’s Project H.E.L.P. to volunteer their time on Thursday mornings to assist the homeless, near-homeless, and having little to no income with a variety of legal questions and circumstances. Examples of the matters our attorneys assisted with included unpaid traffic tickets, bench warrants, Social Security Disability, housing eligibility, setting aside a Consent Judgment, obtaining criminal history and bond history, and determining one’s ability to travel out of state just to mention a few.

Volunteers included John Sier, Michael Geraghty, Carina Kraatz, Lindsay Rose, Chloe Streetman, Matthew Faiver, Kally Goodwin-Ratzloff, Katharine Gostek, Jesse DePauw, and Timothy Brady. With the assistance and cooperation of Rebecca Simkins Nowak, Esq., the Clinical Coordinator at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, our attorneys were assisted in November by 14 First Year law school students from UDM School of Law. The assistance was greatly appreciated and the First Years were very thankful and all enjoyed the experience!

The Kitch firm will return to assist those in need on Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in May 2019.

Expungements

Several Kitch attorneys also volunteered their time to assist the Expungement Initiative facilitated by Lakeshore Legal Aid. This Initiative involves attending various expungement clinics, volunteering to assist in reviewing potential clients’ criminal history, and determining whether they are eligible to have their convictions expunged. After eligibility is determine, our attorneys have the opportunity to volunteer their time to represent clients as their expungement hearings. These legal services are invaluable in helping clients secure gainful employment and move forward with their lives. Kitch attorneys who volunteered their time to work on expungement cases included John Sier, Laura Witty, Lindsay Bliven, Beth Wittmann, Dean Etsios, Genevieve Delonis, Amy Carriveau, Joslyn Iafrate, and Laura Sherbrook. Our attorneys continued to achieve successful expungements and in doing so, changing their clients’ lives in meaningful ways.

Examples included obtaining expungements on behalf of clients who had been terminated from employment and denied employment based on prior convictions, working diligently to locate lost criminal records, working with the Michigan State Police to correct improper criminal records, overcoming objections by the Attorney General’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office regarding restitution, and successfully representing clients at their expungement hearings.

Capuchin Legal Aid Clinic

Kitch attorneys will be volunteering at the Capuchin Legal Aid Clinic on Meldrum Street in Detroit this Winter. This clinic provides an opportunity for attorneys to use their knowledge and skill to provide advice to individuals in need who are experiencing a variety of legal problems, ranging from public benefits issues to outstanding tickets and warrants.

Detroit Legal Services Clinic

This clinic occurs once a month in the Penobscot Building. While not all legal issues addressed are related to Family Law, this area is one of the primary subject matters. A Friend of the Court liaison is present to assist attorneys with any questions.

Sanctum House

Sanctum House, in partnership with the Detroit Mercy School of Nursing and Social Work, is a confidential safe house established to help, assist and house victims of human trafficking. The Kitch firm is proud to assist these victims with pro bono services. One of our attorneys, Farah Israel, is volunteering her time along with a University of Detroit Mercy law student to help a human trafficking victim legally change her name, so she can change her identity and move on with her life.

Kitch in the Community - January 2019

Key Contacts