News: Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Meaghan Hohl
Meaghan@sevenletter.com | (617) 448-6973

BOSTON, MA (April 21, 2022) Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) today announced that former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and First Lady Diane Patrick together with former Massachusetts Senator Mo Cowan and his wife Stacy Cowan will serve as honorary Co-Chairs for MLRI’s annual Catalyst for Change event on April 28, 2022.

Proceeds from the 2022 Catalyst for Change event will benefit MLRI’s Racial Justice & Equity Project which undertakes advocacy, in collaboration with community partners, to address and dismantle systemic racial disparities and racialized policies and practices that disadvantage the Commonwealth’s communities of color. MLRI hopes to raise $150,000 to support the ongoing efforts this project.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marlena Idrobo, midrobo@mlac.org

Boston, April 15 – The Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime Initiative received the 2022 Innovation Award from the Victim and Witness Assistance Board and the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance as part of their 2022 Victim Rights Awards. 

CLAVC, administered by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, helps victims of crime throughout Massachusetts with their related civil legal problems — including family law, housing, immigration, disability rights, child welfare, education, consumer, identity theft, employment rights and public benefits.

BOSTON – Following years of advocacy by more than 150 anti-poverty and public health organizations, on February 15, 2022, the Baker Administration announced their plan to allow low-income households the right to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the same time they sign-up for MassHealth. This implements a legislative directive included in both the FY21 and FY22 state budgets, representing a significant step toward a streamlined application process for means-tested benefits that has widespread bipartisan support in the legislature, impacting roughly 600,000 MassHealth recipients who likely qualify for SNAP.

Working with Massachusetts Legislators Has Eased Food Insecurity, Kept People Housed, Moved Children Out of Deep Poverty

Boston, Mass. (December 21, 2021) – Through legal, policy, and legislative advocacy, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) helped thousands of families and individuals living in poverty throughout 2020 and 2021.  MLRI is a nonprofit poverty law and policy center that advocates to advance policies and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income communities.

“No period in recent memory has placed as much stress on people living in poverty than the last 18 months,” said Georgia Katsoulomitis, MLRI’s executive director.  “MLRI has spent more than five decades fighting on their behalf at both the state and national levels. We have an expansive network of advocacy partners and community organizations we collaborate with to advance high impact initiatives.  This strong foundation allowed us to move quickly to work with Massachusetts legislators and with the Baker-Polito administration to help the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.  Those efforts have had considerable impact on the lives of thousands of Massachusetts residents throughout 2020 and 2021.”

Organization to recognize Henry in April 2022 for his work on behalf of vulnerable communities

Boston, Mass. (November 4, 2021) – The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) will honor Brent Henry, a leading health care attorney at Mintz, as the latest recipient of the organization’s prestigious Catalyst for Change Award. MLRI is a nonprofit poverty law and policy center that advocates to advance policies and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income communities. Henry will be honored for his work promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, advocating for more funding for legal aid programs, and supporting health and housing equity at an event on April 28, 2022.

“Now more than ever, MLRI’s mission to fight for policies that benefit low-income people in Massachusetts and that advance racial equity justice is important to the future of our Commonwealth and our nation,” said MLRI’s Executive Director, Georgia Katsoulomitis. “Brent Henry knows what it is like to stand in the trenches to help those in need of support and to address both economic and racial injustice. His career is defined by promoting equity and inclusion, from the legal profession to health care to housing. We are honored to celebrate his work.”

Governor Baker Signs Law that Will Ensure More Children Have Access to Free Lunches at School and Curtail Practice of Shaming Children with Meal Debt

Boston, Mass. (October 14, 2021) – The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is celebrating the enactment of new legislation that addresses the challenge that children and families living in poverty face when it comes to unpaid school meal debt.  Governor Charlie Baker signed today the new law called An Act Promoting Student Nutrition, which was championed by State Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and State Representative Andy Vargas.

“We are grateful to Governor Baker and the Massachusetts legislature for taking seriously the need to change the meal debt practices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Georgia Katsoulomitis, MLRI’s executive director.  “No child should be made to feel uncomfortable at school because their family is unable to afford a school lunch. This new law will ensure that more children have access to free lunches at school and will put limits on how meal debt is collected.”