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Welcome to LASO's Enewsletter
We are happy you are "In the Loop"
Welcome to LASO's monthly "In the Loop" E-newsletter! We know you get a lot of email, so all of us here at LASO will strive to include information each month on LASO News, Pro Bono Information, and other stories that will be of use and interest to our readers. Please keep reading and learn how LASO is helping Oklahomans every day.
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LASO Receives $37,715.00 Cy Pres Award
Norman Attorney M. Kathi Rawls donates again
M. Kathi Rawls, left, presents a Cy Pres check to LASO Program Administrator Cindy Luster
Norman Consumer Protection Attorney M. Kathi Rawls, long a strong supporter of LASO's work on behalf of low-income and elderly Oklahomans, has again presented LASO with another large Cy Pres gift.
The Cy Pres doctrine (from the Norman French term "cy pres comme possible," (meaning ‘as near as possible’) is a court-approved method of distributing a damage fund when the original purpose cannot be achieved.
In class action lawsuits, if there is to be a payment of damages to class members, a fund is created. After class members’ claims are paid, there is often an amount remaining. Under the doctrine of Cy Pres, judges and class counsel can recommend that residual funds be distributed to the "next best" use. The Cy Pres Funds may be distributed to purposes that have a nexus to the underlying purpose of the litigation. The courts have broad discretion in this area and can define nexus in 1) very broad, general terms, 2) by specific populations to be served, or 3) in terms of a particular legal or subject area.
Most court awards now being distributed to legal services programs are happening as a result of settlement discussions between the parties, where there is an agreement between them that a charitable donation to legal services is in order. Such contributions are often being offered by defense counsel.
Kathi recently settled a class action consumer case and proposed that LASO be the recipient of any residual funds. Opposing counsel and the Court agreed, resulting in a $37,715.00 donation to LASO that will be used to fund legal advocacy on behalf of consumers. This is not the first Cy Pres gift Kathi has directed to support LASO; four prior gifts initiated by Kathi in her cases have previously generated $31,500.00 in awards to LASO.
All of us at LASO would like to thank Kathi for her kindness to LASO and for her efforts to help provide legal services to our low-income neighbors.
If you would like more information on how to direct Cy Pres or other court-directed funds to LASO, please contact Christa.Figgins@laok.org.
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Your Contributions Make a Difference
LASO Client Story
Mrs. Jones* came to LASO for a divorce from her abusive spouse, with whom she had two small children. Mr. Jones had a drug problem and had been abusive to Mrs. Jones, a stay-at-home mother, throughout their marriage, including punching Mrs. Jones in the face in the presence of their children. They separated after a later incidence of violent abuse, which also occurred in front of their children.
When Mrs. Jones applied for services at LASO, she vowed to get out of the abusive relationship and make a better life for herself and her children.
A temporary order was entered giving Mrs. Jones full custody of the children. In the final decree, LASO obtained an order granting Mrs. Jones child support and Mr. Jones supervised visitation with his children upon completion of alcohol treatment, drug treatment, and passage of a drug test.
Ms. Jones, free from her abusive marriage, is now attending college so she can obtain suitable employment to support herself and secure a bright future for herself and her children.
Your help makes it possible for LASO advocates to assist clients like Mrs. Jones make a better life. Thank you!
*Name changed to protect identity.
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March 2013 Feature Volunteer
Daniel Ede
Lawyers at LASO's Tulsa Law Office refer to Daniel Ede as a committed, dedicated and tireless pro bono volunteer.
For two decades, Ede has donated hundreds of hours of pro bono legal assistance to clients in the Tulsa area as well as six surrounding counties through his work with LASO. “Daniel has been very active for years, handling at least one family law case at all times.” stated Karen Langdon, Pro Bono Coordinator, “but this winter, because the need was so great, he agreed to take on seven cases at once.” Ede also agreed to learn new areas of the law, such as expungement, even though he had little familiarity with them in his prior practice.
In 1988, Ede graduated with a Juris Doctor from Stetson College of Law, St Petersburg, FL. He then served as a Florida Assistant State Attorney and later worked in private practice in suburban Chicago. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oral Roberts University and a Master of Sciences from Oklahoma State University. Prior to practicing law, Ede taught at ORU and later on, obtained Insurance Licenses in Life and Health in Oklahoma and South Carolina. He currently works in private practice in Tulsa County in the areas of Domestic Relations, Estate Planning and Insurance & Benefits consulting.
Ede’s dedication to reach out to serve Oklahoma’s neediest continued even during a challenging time in his own family’s life. One year ago his teenage daughter, a competitive trampolinist, suffered a spinal cord injury, a diagnosis which expected to leave her a quadriplegic. Supported by family and friends, she set out to beat the odds. What looked like a hopeless situation soon shifted to an outcome of remarkable recovery.
As a volunteer attorney, Ede helps achieve successful outcomes for low-income persons who may feel hopeless and find themselves in a difficult civil legal situation. His pro bono work increases LASO’s capacity to provide representation to our state’s otherwise legally deprived families, individuals, and seniors.
All of us at LASO would like to thank Mr. Ede for his dedication: Thank you!
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Funders
LASO's work would not be possible without the assistance of the Legal Services Corporation, the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, and the United Way. Thank you!
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