Need a Good Lawyer?

Emory’s School of Law, with support from the Emory Office of LGBT Life, has launched Emory LGBTQ Legal Services (ELLS), an organization created to provide pro bono legal assistance to members of the LGBTQ community in the Atlanta area.

ELLS will connect pro bono attorneys and volunteer law students with low-income clients who need help with legal issues involving filing insurance denial appeals for trans persons and completing advance directives.

The group also will compile a database of community resources for LGBTQ people in need of legal assistance.

In a time of uncertainty about legal protections for the LGBTQ community, Nicole Schladt 18L, cofounder of ELLS, and Faris Mohammed 18L asked themselves how they could help Atlantans who are worried about the status of measures that ensure equity in civil rights.

Organizations such as Lambda Legal and the Transgender Law Center were already working on impact litigation, but there was a dearth of organizations working in direct services for the community.

“Getting involved with the Office of LGBT Life at Emory made me realize that we all have these specialized skills,” says Schladt. “It just seems wrong to not use them to help the community we all love.”