Maureen Olives Named Executive Director of Philadelphia Legal Assistance

Dear Supporters and Friends of Philadelphia Legal Assistance,

I am delighted to announce that the Board of Philadelphia Legal Assistance has selected Maureen Olives to serve as the next permanent Executive Director of PLA. Maureen has served as PLA’s Interim Executive Director for the past sixteen months following the illness and passing of our founding and long-time Executive Director Anita Santos-Singh.  

Maureen comes to the Executive Director position with a wealth of experience in public interest service. A native of Harrisburg, PA, she began her Pennsylvania legal services career as a Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) Martin Luther King intern at Legal Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As a new attorney, she returned to the Wilkes-Barre program to handle SSI cases. Maureen then moved to Philadelphia to work with domestic violence survivors at both Women Against Abuse Legal Center and PLA. She served for seven years as the Director of Public Interest Programs for Temple University’s Beasley School of Law before coming back to PLA as our Director of Intake and Service Delivery, Managing Attorney, and then Interim Executive Director. As her career demonstrates, Maureen has a deep passion for justice for low-income and historically marginalized communities. 

While Maureen comes to the position with experience as Interim Executive Director, she also recognizes (as does the Board) that her acceptance of the permanent position represents a new chapter for PLA. The Board is dedicated to work with Maureen in a transition process that will address current challenges, build organizational strength, and identify future opportunities to help PLA and its amazing staff deliver the legal help that Philadelphia’s low-income residents desperately need.  

As Maureen considered her new position, she said, “I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to support PLA’s staff and engage with our stakeholders to preserve and expand our impact in serving our client community. Challenging situations are not new to us. Just like our clients, we are resilient and agile in the face of adversity. I am looking forward to leading PLA as we rise to meet this moment.” 

The Board and staff of PLA could have no better leader for our next chapter. 

Best, 

John P. Lavelle Jr. 
President, Philadelphia Legal Assistance Board of Directors