Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: SeniorLAW Center

SeniorLAW Center was founded in 1978 by members of the Philadelphia Bar Association to protect the legal rights and interests of elderly Philadelphians through a volunteer-driven program. Today, SeniorLAW Center’s diverse staff of lawyers and advocates work tirelessly to improve the lives of older Pennsylvanians and protect their rights through legal representation, education, and advocacy.

SeniorLAW Center has offices in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, offering a wide range of programs and services for seniors in Pennsylvania. Staff and volunteer attorneys provide direct legal services and representation to thousands of elderly individuals on a number of issues, from housing to financial exploitation to elder abuse, enabling them to keep their homes, terminate family violence, rectify consumer and financial exploitation, and gain custody rights over children in their care. SeniorLAW Center staff frequently conduct “know your rights” workshops and other community outreach programs to educate seniors on their legal rights on different topics with a focus on prevention. The organization also conducts professional training programs for other professionals working with older adults, like in-home care workers and physicians, to sensitize them to the legal problems facing the elderly.

SeniorLAW Center staff advocate for long-term solutions and responses to systemic problems facing the elderly, including through a special pro bono partnership with AARP. The Pennsylvania SeniorLAW Helpline offers free and confidential telephone-based legal service where staff and volunteer attorneys provide legal information, advice, and/or referrals as well as brief services for certain areas of law, to older Pennsylvanians.