Pro Bono Legal Network

Health Law Advocates operates the Pro Bono Legal Network, consisting of over 80 attorneys in private practice who accept case referrals from HLA. The Pro Bono Legal Network membership includes attorneys with many years of experience and others newly admitted to the Bar. Pro Bono Legal Network attorneys practice in a wide variety of settings including large international law firms, medium-sized law firms, solo practices, non-profits and corporate legal departments.

Case referrals handled by Pro Bono Legal Network attorneys involve the same types of issues handled y HLA’s staff attorneys. Legal Network attorneys routinely provide services to vulnerable clients that are literally life-sustaining and that help clients avoid financial catastrophes.

Typical cases include:

• Appealing public and private health plan denials of coverage for particular heatlh services.
  
• Challenging public and private health plan enrollment interruptions or terminations.
  
• Addressing unaffordable medical bills owed to heatlh care providers.
  








LN Manager Matt Selig



HLA strives to maximize the satisfaction of both clients and volunteer attorneys in its management of the Pro Bono Legal Network. HLA’s Legal Network Manager, Matt Selig, monitors cases referred to Legal Network attorneys to ensure clients are receiving the attention they need. Matt communicates regularly with LN attorneys handling pro bono referrals to provide technical support and advice on legal strategy. HLA’s Mentor Program: Legal Network attorneys with limited experience who wish to handle referral cases are often paired with a more experienced member of the Legal Netowork who serves as a mentor on specific cases.

HLA’s Pro Bono Legal Network was initiated at HLA’s founding in 1996. In 2002, HLA received a three-year grant from the Jesse B. Cox Charitable Trust to strengthen and expand the Legal Network. The Cox Trust grant enabled HLA to establish the full-time position Staff Attorney/Legal Network Manager. HLA has also received generous support from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and the Boston Bar Foundation to fund the Pro Bono Legal Network.



---





Legal Network's Lawyer of the Month


Lisa Fleming, a Partner with Bromberg & Sunstein LLP, joined Health Law Advocates' Pro Bono Legal Network in 2003. Since that time Lisa has been a remarkably active and effective member of the Legal Network. Lisa has accepted a wide range of HLA referral cases including clients in disputes with MassHealth (Medicaid) and with private health plans and clients with substantial medical debt. In 2004, Lisa accepted a case referral involving an out of state college student who was serving an internship in Boston in 2004. The young woman was enrolled in a student health plan when she required an emergency appendectomy. The student health plan did not cover the surgery and post-operative care and the client was billed $23,000. Lisa, with the assistance of Bromberg & Sunstein associate Rebecca Hanovice, gained full forgiveness of the $23,000 bill for the young college student. Earlier this year, Lisa represented a 39 year old MassHealth member who requires personal care attendant (PCA) services for daily living tasks. MassHealth had made a substantial cut in coverage for the PCA services. Lisa helped the client appeal her denial of coverage and much of the coverage for services was restored. Also, in 2006 and 2007, after filing a claim in federal district court Attorneys Fleming and Hanovice won a successful settlement from a client's long term disability carrier that had unjustly cancelled benefits. Just this week, Lisa accepted a difficult case referral involving a young girl with substantial disabilities who is having coverage for her in-home service cut by MassHealth (Medicaid). Lisa is always available for a case referral or to provide legal advice on complex health law matters when called upon by HLA. And, in 2003, Lisa arranged for her firm, Bromberg & Sunstein, to serve as the gracious host of an HLA legal training on long term disability coverage.
Thank you for your amazing contributions to Health Law Advocates Lisa!



---




Previous LN Lawyers of the Month

Mala Rafik, Rosenfeld & Rafik
Jim Jacobson, Holland & Knight
George Thompson, Unum Provident


---





• The form below is not working properly at this time. If you would like to join the legal network, please email Legal Network Manager Matt Selig.

  First Name	Middle Initial
  Last Name	Suffix Jr. Ph.D. M.D.
  Organization Name
  Work Address	Home Address
  Work City	Home City
  Work State ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWADCWVWIWY	Home State ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWADCWVWIWY
  Work Zip	Home Zip
  Work Phone	Home Phone
  Fax
  E-Mail
  What type of practice(s) do you participate in? State Federal Administrative	Complex Litigation Negotiation/ADR Other... Other practice area:
  What are your areas of practice? Advance Directive/Health Care Proxy Chapt. 93A COBRA Community Benefits Disability Law Discrimination EMTALA ERISA Family Law Guardianship Health Law Insurance Law	Long-Term Care Medical Malpractice Managed Care Medicaid Medicare Mental Health Mergers/Acquisitions Non-Proft/Charities Law Physician Licensing Privacy Title VI (Civil Rights) Other... Other practice type:
  Year Admitted to Mass. Bar 1900190119021903190419051906190719081909191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921192219231924192519261927192819291930193119321933193419351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008	Where else are you admitted to the bar?
  Please describe your health law experience (if any)
  Will you provide pro bono technical assistance to HLA? (i.e. review regulations, descuss legal strategies)? Yes No	Approximately how many pro bono hours will you provide per year?
  Please note a past client	Date case referred
  Do you have an active Network case? Yes No	Name of Case
  I certify that I am an active member, in good standing, in all jurisdictions where I have been admitted. Yes No If no, please explain: