2024 Annual Report: A Letter From PLA's Executive Director

Dear Friends,

In November 2024, PLA’s Board of Directors chose me to lead Philadelphia Legal Assistance as its Executive Director. To say that I am beyond honored to serve in this role is an understatement. I have admired, respected, and been moved by PLA’s work for over two decades. I am looking forward to the challenges and rewards of leading such an amazing group of advocates. 

I am a thirty-year veteran of legal services and public interest adjacent work. My first position in Pennsylvania Legal Services was as a Martin Luther King Intern, assigned to what was then known as Legal Services of Northeastern PA. Upon graduating from the University of Buffalo Law School a year later, I joined Legal Services of NE PA as a staff attorney, concentrating on SSI and Social Security Disability work in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In 1999, I relocated to Philadelphia where I worked at Women Against Abuse and then Philadelphia Legal Assistance as a family lawyer representing domestic violence survivors in custody, child support, Protection from Abuse, and divorce cases. 

After eleven years of providing direct service to hundreds of clients, I decided to work at Temple Law School as their Director of Public Interest Programs. I was responsible for counseling and mentoring law students who wanted a career in public interest law, and also for fostering pro bono opportunities. Five students that I worked with are now my colleagues at PLA, and many more fill positions at public interest organizations in Philadelphia and beyond. It is one of my great joys to witness their phenomenal work. 

Returning to PLA twelve years ago in a management role seemed like the next logical step in my career, as it had remained a special place to me.  I wanted to be a part of its wonderful energy, collegiality and top notch advocacy.  Although I did not see myself in this role then, leading PLA is absolutely where I should be as we work to adapt to this moment in our history.

The ability to adapt and endure has always been PLA’s superpower. We are so proud of our programmatic agility, which all comes down to the special people who use their talents to fulfill PLA’s mission each day. Whether its pursuing an appeal to the Superior or Commonwealth Court, obtaining an Owner Occupied Payment Agreement to keep an owner from losing the family home, taking an emergency custody case for a survivor in great danger of physical harm, or providing onsite legal assistance to patients at a free community health center, we work with compassion, expertise, and tenacity to achieve solutions for our clients. 

Our next chapter will require new expertise and support if we are to endure. Our core federal funding was reduced by 17% in November 2024, due to a reduction in Philadelphia’s poverty population as compared to national numbers. Despite this finding, Philadelphia remains the poorest big city in the U.S, and nearly one out of ten Philadelphians experience deep poverty, or income below 50% of the poverty threshold.  With economic uncertainty increasing and COVID related funds winding down, we need to develop new sources of financial support or face deep service cuts. These cuts will be especially painful as 92% of low-income Americans already do not receive any or enough legal services when they lose a job, need a protection order, or risk losing their home. 

We are deeply grateful to our donors and funders, some of whom are longtime supporters, some brand new in 2024. Your faith and trust in us as good stewards of your financial support means a great deal. We will use your gift wisely and will work to inspire further support from you and new donors as we adapt and endure.

Maureen Olives

Executive Director, Philadelphia Legal Assistance