Legal Counsel for the Elderly

Worst place in the world!! Reached out for assistance/help with my elderly mother who was diagnosed with COVID.19 and is pending eviction, as well as other challenges. LCFOE is some trash!! Period. They never answer the phones, they don't follow-up with emails, and they always never help. Go figure!

For caregivers who are using this services, please proceed with caution.

I sought ONLY bill paying service for my elderly parent. I had NO IDEA that once I requested the service it would mean that I was relinquishing total control to them - meaning that I could no longer check in to see how things were going or be given any status reports. REALLY ? How does one leap from only needing bill paying service to talking over complete legal control of your parent. They do NOT tell you this at intake. It was a shock ! The reason they give you for this is the elderly parent becomes their client and you can't get any more information - it becomes a client-attorney privilege. While that may be so, that is not an arrangement that works for my situation. To that end, those seeking this organization's services should be alerted to this condition BEFORE engaging them. I actually found the intake staff helpful, sensitive, but couldn't say the same for the attorney who had been assigned to my parent's case. I would NOT recommend or use them IF you need or want to be involved with your parent's care or services. .

I am giving them one stat because the intake worker was very pleasant.

I have worked with the Legal Counsel for the Elderly for over 20 year, and it is a terrific organization. The staff is totally dedicated to the mission and wonderful to work with. LCE fills a critical need in the District of Columbia protecting the rights of the city's elderly population.

I have enjoyed working with Legal Counsel for the Elderly and assisting their clients in the preparation of wills and powers of attorney. The training provided was very helpful and the responsiveness of the organization to questions has been very quick.

From personal experiences, I know that Legal Counsel for the Elderly is dedicated to its mission of providing representation for elderly residents of the District of Columbia. The staff of lawyers is led by Jan May, who not only is expert is elderly law but provides counsel to the greater community, works to achieve legislative goals and provides advice to the executive branch of city government. I should note my belief that the program works independently of AARP, its creator, so it can advocate for its clients without regard to any commercial interests. A solid program that should be replicated elsewhere.

I am a retired attorney who lives in Washington, D.C. in a diverse neighborhood with a mix of all income brackets and ages. I am periodically approached for advice. I particularly noted that the elderly were particularly vulnerable and often taken advantage of by landlords, and creditors attempting unlawful collection actions against Social Security and VA benefits.
I identified this organization and referred 2 very needy senior citizen to them for help. I was so impressed with the compassionate help they provided at no cost that I became a recurring contributor. I have been so touched by the impact of their work and the peace of mind it gives to some of the most vulnerable of our society.

Smart programs, dedicated staff, meaningful impact. As a nonprofit professional and graduate of Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, I gained the opportunity to work with and study a variety of nonprofit organizations. Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) ranks first on my list of the best nonprofits I've had the privilege to serve. Enthusiasm for their mission and devotion to their constituents is strongly felt throughout the organization. When combined with carefully crafted programs and thoughtful application of resources, LCE greatly exceeds the criteria of a model organization. Serving an area of great need in the District, LCE makes meaningful use of every donor dollar and if you are looking to support one organization, put LCE at the top of your list.

As a Masters of Social Work student from Howard University School of Social Work, with a concentration in displaced populations, I have had the honor and privilege of interning at Legal Counsel for the Elderly: Alternatives to Landlord/Tenant Court Project, for two years. While under the supervision and guidance of the Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have had the opportunity to assist the Alternatives Project in their proactive efforts to prevent homelessness and eviction for vulnerable elderly tenants in DC. Words cannot express how fortunate and gracious I am to have had the opportunity to observe such compassionate, empowering, non-judgmental, and holistic services to at-risk elders and their families; often facing mental, emotional, social, and environmental challenges. The team at LCE: Alternatives Project are truly an incredible illustration of how effective the collaboration of lawyers and social workers can be in insuring that vulnerable elders are not obtaining a Band-Aid, but acquiring comprehensive support services that attend to all of their psycho-social needs. I am a better social worker and individual from my experiences here at Legal Counsel for the Elderly: Alternatives to Landlord/Tenant Court Project.

My time working with AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) after law school was truly life changing. LCE is a group of passionate advocates for the elderly community in the District of Columbia. I had the opportunity to work with talented legal professionals and volunteers who prioritized every client and treated everyone with respect no matter the issue and no matter the person's circumstances. My favorite part of working with LCE was the one-on-one client interaction. Books cannot give you that type of interaction. It was a great learning experience that taught me a person-centered approach to advocacy, and I know my time with LCE will impact the rest of my career.

LCE provides vital services to the vulnerable elderly in DC. Their staff is lovely to work with and truly cares about making a difference in their clients' lives.

The attorneys and support staff at Legal Counsel for the Elderly are all consummate professionals who are dedicated solely to advancing the interests of Washington, DC's vulnerable seniors. They are also a great group of people to work with -- friendly, passionate about their work, and confident that they are making a difference in their clients' lives. I would highly recommend this organization to others.

I have been both a volunteer and a donor for LCE. I was impressed because: their services are targeted where most needed; the staff is well-organized and able to inspire the volunteers; service delivery is efficient and cost-effective; and beneficiaries respond well to the caring and improvements provided. LCE well-deserves additional support.

What I appreciate the most about LCE is it's commitment to excellence in representation. They make doing pro bono legal work easy--a good choice of cases, helpful support staff, and backup from top notch lawyers. I represented an LCE client in a probate matter, and an LCE staff attorney helped me think though the implications of certain approaches to the case. As a result I was able to obtain excellent results for my client and develop my own expertise. LCE does an outstanding job representing clients and supporting pro bono attorneys.

The AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly provides free legal services to the vulnerable elderly in Washington, DC. As a leader in the aging services in the Districts, I've seen first hand how they've helped seniors save their homes from predatory lending and tax sales, get the services they need to stay in their homes and apartments, helped nursing home residents get the quality care they deserve and help recognize and report Medicare fraud. They also perform a host of other sevices including wills, powers of attorney, ID theft prevention, benefits access and more. Because AARP provides office space and expenses for overhead, donations go directly to serving clients. They also do an amazing job of partnering with the big law firms in DC who provide pro bono help to people who really need it.

I volunteer as a poverty paralegal for AARP Legal council for the elderly. We help the needest people with most of their legal problems,wills, bankruptcy. improper evictions, help with social security and medicare problems, improper billing and many other problems. As a poverty paralegal I do not give advice but I do take down information that the attorney's use to solve the problems. Because of this help many seniors now remainin their homes. and have proper health care and the right amount of government support that they are entitled to.

AARP Legal Counsel for the Elder is one of the best volunteer experiences that I have ever had. As an undergrad, I was not entirely sure how an office functions in it's day to day life, but LCE was very welcoming and helped me adjust to a more professional lifestyle. Probably the best part of volunteering is reaching out to DC seniors and knowing that you are helping those in need. Although I volunteered in Outreach and Development, I was able to speak to and get to know many volunteers throughout LCE's different programs as well. Every conversation I've had with the volunteers and employees has been a good one, and I have learned something new every day.