For 2021-2022, JALBCA awarded a $110,000 grant to the Center for Elder Law & Justice for the MedLaw Partnership of Western New York.

The Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ) provides free civil legal services to adults throughout Western New York, and reaches health care patients in need of legal assistance through the MedLaw Partnership of Western New York. Attorneys are embedded at several area hospitals and health care facilities in Buffalo, New York, to provide assistance with legal matters that may be impacting an individual’s overall health. Funding from JALBCA supports legal aid for breast cancer patients and survivors, and individuals at risk of the disease.

Legal issues involving housing, health insurance, income maintenance, employment rights, access to benefits, advanced planning, and consumer debt are common among the clients served, and at times may even be a barrier to receiving needed treatment. Through funding provided by JALBCA, CELJ has handled 308 full cases and 201 limited scope matters. The highest percentage of casework falls under the category of personal and family stability, which includes issues such as custody and visitation, domestic or elder abuse, consumer debt, wills and estates, health care proxies, and powers of attorney. CELJ’s MedLaw Partnership also provides community education and outreach, and we trust our advocacy efforts help to address the needs of individuals with a history of breast cancer.