North Penn Legal Services defends civil legal rights

Sandra Tauber was at work when the Bethlehem Housing Authority called her and instructed her to turn in the key to her apartment. 

The call came after she had failed two housing inspections at her apartment in Pembroke Village, a public housing community in Bethlehem. 

Tauber had been informed about an upcoming inspection a month earlier, but she had no indication that it had already taken place.

A single, working parent of two, Tauber knew her space was a little messy — her daughter sometimes left clothes strewn across the apartment while running to get ready for school and Tauber didn’t always have time to tidy up. 

However, she said the housing authority cited her apartment as a “health hazard” to neighboring residents and this was the grounds for her eviction. 

Tauber said she was in tears and called a friend, who urged her to contact North Penn Legal Services — a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free civil legal aid to low-income individuals in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

According to its website, North Penn Legal Services offers a variety of services, including individual representation, legal advice, referrals and legal education.

She applied for representation, completed a screening interview and soon met with a legal advocate who helped her fight the case in court. 

In the end, with the help of her legal advocate, the judge ruled she could remain in her apartment, provided she passed housing inspections every six months. 

“It was a big relief when I was able to stay in my home with my children,” said Tauber, now a paralegal at North Penn. “People like us, where I come from, sometimes we’re not afforded that opportunity to have an attorney that really cares.” 

As one of 20 offices, the North Bethlehem North Penn Legal Services location serves Lehigh and Northampton counties. These counties have a combined population of 71,368 individuals living below the poverty line, according to 2022 U.S. Census data.  

Managing Partners Scott Williams and Sarah Andrew lead the North Bethlehem office and oversee a team of 20 staff members — 10 attorneys, seven paralegals and four support staff.

From 2022 to 2023, North Penn provided direct services to 17,867 individuals, following applications received through online, phone and in-person intakes. 

Applications are screened to ensure they meet North Penn’s eligibility guidelines, requiring applicants to earn no more than 125% of the 2022 Poverty Guidelines, as issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

This translates to a gross annual income of $32,688 or less for a family unit of four persons.

Williams said there’s always a need for the services North Penn offers. 

“There’s nowhere else for folks who can’t afford a lawyer to go,” Williams said. 

In the United States, the landmark 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright established the right to free legal representation in criminal cases. However, this protection does not extend to civil matters. 

As a result, many low-income individuals facing legal issues in areas like housing or family law must rely on organizations like North Penn Legal Services for assistance.

Andrew said the Bethlehem office faces unique challenges compared to other locations, particularly due to housing issues driven by a growing population in the Lehigh Valley. 

Since 2020, the region has gained 11,000 new residents. Within this period, Zillow reported that the median home sale price in Bethlehem has risen by 49.18%. 

“This causes real problems for our clients in housing situations,” Andrew said. “If they are forced to move, for whatever reason, from their home, it’s that much more difficult to find somewhere to relocate to.” 

The housing market in the Lehigh Valley is further complicated by the presence of 10 colleges and universities. 

Beyond limiting affordable housing, Andrew said neighborhoods with large student populations often experience landlord neglect, resulting in the rapid deterioration of properties. 

Williams said part of what makes legal aid work engaging is that clients’ circumstances are often multifaceted. 

“You may have a case as an attorney which mushrooms into another issue and another issue, which makes things challenging,” Williams said. “But also, it keeps things interesting.”

Andrew said the unique development of cases makes legal services an ideal place to start a legal career. Incoming staff at North Penn receive broad exposure to the legal profession, including court appearances, litigation, negotiation and client interaction.

“We try not to throw people to the wolves,” Andrew said. “But it is a little bit like, ‘Go!’”

After graduating from Northampton Community College with an associate’s degree in legal studies, Tauber joined North Penn Legal Services as a paralegal in October 2019.

Tauber said she’s grateful to support the organization that once helped her, and she feels her personal experience helps shape her interactions with clients. 

“It shows them that I was in their shoes once, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she said. 

At North Penn, each case is assigned an advocate after intake, either a staff attorney or a paralegal.

In her role, Tauber works directly with domestic violence clients and serves as a Spanish translator. 

She said the job can take a toll on her mental health. To cope, she takes personal days and tries to disconnect from work completely.

Andrew said the potential loss to a client could be their income, their home or even their children.

“The stakes are so high because we are handling issues that really do impact people’s basic needs,” Andrew said.

Andrew said clients’ issues are often more financial than legal. She said while North Penn can advise individuals on their legal rights and defend those rights, they’re likely to encounter the same problems repeatedly if they don’t have the financial means to resolve their issues. 

Andrew said North Penn’s role in such cases is to provide clients with the time they need to address their financial challenges.

“There are a lot of people that get taken advantage of,” Andrew said. “It’s really rewarding to step in and say, “This person still has rights.’ We win cases that clients couldn’t win on their own.” 

Although restricted from lobbying for legislative change due to nonprofit funding conditions, North Penn Legal Services remains committed to addressing the broader issue of the right to civil counsel — a systemic gap that both Andrew and Williams said they hope to see reformed in the future.

Tauber said the employees at North Penn care about their clients. 

“They’re not doing it for money, because we don’t make any money,” she said. “We do it for the love of helping.”