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- EIN 23-2210390
- 215-523-9550
- 1500 John F Kennedy Blvd, Suite 1850 Philadelphia PA 19102 USA
- http://www.phillyvip.org
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- Philly_VIP
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Crime & Law, Economic Development, Legal Services, Nonprofit Management, Public Interest Law
Mission: VIP promotes equal justice for the poor by providing civil legal services not otherwise available, collaborating with other legal services organizations and promoting a culture of volunteerism by educating and exposing attorneys and law students to issues of poverty. VIP was formed in response to the cuts in funding of government funded legal services in the 80s. Private attorneys, paralegals and law students are recruited and trained to represent low-income Philadelphians with meritorious, non-fee-generating civil cases. VIP's scope of services includes family law (support, custody, divorce, adoption, protection from abuse and name change), real estate (landlord/tenant and residential), special education and school discipline, immigration, litigation defense, consumer fraud, probate and estate planning, government disability benefits, tax, and representation of community groups and small businesses.
Results: VIP has a volunteer base of more than 10,000 law students, paralegals, attorneys, and legal administrators. Through its volunteers and staff, VIP serves more than 3,000 individuals and families yearly who could not otherwise afford attorneys and whose cases could or would not be handled by other public interest organizations.
Target demographics: low-income residents
Geographic areas served: Philadelphia
Programs: Community Economic Development, an initiative of Philadelphia VIP, that contributes to Philadelphia’s economic development by ensuring that nonprofits' and small business owners' legal needs are met and by educating clients and the community to prevent legal problems.