Legal Aid Matters

LAF, NTA, and CLC take on Chicago Public Schools

National Teachers Academy NTA is a high-performing Level1 elementary school on Chicago's near south side serving students who are80 African American and 80 low income In February Chicago Public School approved a plan to close NTA and convert the campus into a new high school despite the schools remarkable success and despite the passionate protest of parents and students at community meetingsAttorneys at LAF and ChicagoLawyers Committee For Civil Rights CLC have partnered to represent students parents and community groups in a lawsuit to halt the closure of NTA Nubiasits down with Ashley Fretthold and Kate Gladson of LAFs Education Law project as well as Candace Moore of CLC to talk about the lawsuit and the importance of preserving high-performing public schools learn more about NTA by visiting WeAreNTAcom or by following them on Twitter WeAreNTARead the University of Chicago study about the 2013 CPSclosures that Ashley mentionsFollowLAF on Facebook on Twitter ChicagoLAF and on Instagram lafchicagoDont forget to subscribe to the show

Meet Larry Wood, Housing Group Director

In today's episode, we hear from Larry Wood, Director of Legal Aid Chicago's (formerly LAF) Housing Practice Group. Larry has spent the last 28 years at Legal Aid Chicago and in that time has become a leading expert on housing-related issues that affect people in poverty, especially those residing in public housing. Nubia and Larry's conversation touches on Matthew Desmond's Pulitzer prize-winning book "Evicted: How Housing Instability Causes Poverty" and how Legal Aid Chicago intervenes to prevent homelessness by stopping unfair evictions. Larry, who also happens to be most decorated New Yorker caption contest winner of all time, also shares a little advice for aspiring humorists.

Meet John Gallo, CEO & Executive Director

In the debut episode of Legal Aid Matters, we hear from Legal Aid Chicago (formerly LAF) CEO & Executive Director John Gallo about how he wound up in his current role, what he's learned in his first year on the job, and why he's so passionate about legal aid.