Even though our lives are governed by the legal system for many it is a maze of red tape that is difficult to understand.

Often, people need to hire lawyers to help them decipher the law to help them understand their rights in different circumstances. In many instances the cost can be an unexpected financial burden. To others the cost is impossible to meet.

It is in these circumstances that the Queens Legal Services Corporation (QLSC) comes in — helping those in Southeast Queens who cannot afford a lawyer in civil cases.

What Is QLSC?

QLSC, the Queens branch of a federal legal aid program, was founded in 1968.

"There was no organization providing services like this in Queens and there was need for it," said Cindy Katz, QLSC outreach coordinator.

"Two people who are still on the board were involved [in founding QLSC.] They were providing free legal services to veterans, but there was no legal aid service in Queens for low-income people.

"Courts can be very complicated and intimidating places if you do not have a legal background and if you don’t speak the language," she said. "Free legal services make sure the poor get a fair chance in court.

"I used to represent individuals before the Social Security Administration. These people were ill physically or mentally and yet had been denied benefits. I felt good after every one of those cases that I won," she recalled.

Helping The ‘Neighborhood’

According to the organization’s brochure, QLSC is a "neighborhood-based law office whose mission is to ensure that the people in the community where we live and work have equal access to justice."

Its services are available to low-income households, the eligibility level being 125per cent of the federal poverty level, a number based on the amount of money needed to provide for family requirements, which is used by various government agencies to determine eligibility for programs.

Who Qualifies For Help?

The 2001 QLSC eligibility level is below $21,062 per year for a family of four.

Over 47,000 Southeast Queens residents therefore qualify, according to the QLSC.

"It should be higher," Katz said. "People with incomes that are higher than our eligibility level still are unable to hire private attorneys for things that would affect them for years to come. It would take up too much of their income."

Finding Funding

Katz said that there are not enough resources to represent every eligible person. "We have only 30 attorneys here covering Queens," she said.

Therefore, the organization has to turn away some people who ask for help. "We see if we can set people up with other agencies. If all else fails, we try to take the case. A lot of it is done on a first come, first serve basis. Also, we represent cases with the most merit and chance of winning. It is determined based on a review or evaluation of the case and type of needs," Katz said.

They were able to help about 1,500 people last year.

According to QLSC Staff Member Carl Callender, about 60 percent of the group’s budget is funded by the federal government. The rest comes from the state, the city and private groups.

To increase its federal funding, QLSC has to go through the Legal Service Corporation, the federal corporation through which federal block grants are distributed.

Katz said that QLSC needs more funding and is asking for it. "There are always people asking for more money," she said.

Private organizations that have provided funding for QLSC include ABC, Inc. Foundation, Bell Atlantic, Charitable Gift Foundation, Citibank Employee Foundation, Fleet Bank, Green Point Foundation, MONY Foundation, New York Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation and White & Case.

Power To The People

To cope with its current funding situation, QLSC has started a program called "The People’s Law School" (PLS).

"We started a program for community education so they can prepare if they have to go to court on their own. We provide seminars to civic groups and religious organizations," Katz said.

"Our hope is to educate people that we couldn’t otherwise represent on an individual basis," she said.

For example, "There are lots of misconceptions that people have with Social Security disability. The first misconception is that the person they are talking to is the person who makes the decision on a case. The people in the local social security office are not the ones who make the decisions, so when the claims representative makes certain comments, it leads them to believe they will get the benefits, but that is not correct," Katz said.

"Another misconception is that a simple note from a doctor is going to be enough. Lots of people come in with a doctor’s comments saying that they have a disease. It’s never enough. The Social Security Administration has to determine what the person’s physical capability is. We contact the doctors to get them to explain what the Social Security disability is. We try and hopefully are able to get to get that information from the doctors," Katz added.

How They Can Help You

According to Katz, she provides representation and advice to people who have problems involving:

• Housing, including tenants’ rights, repairs, reduction in services, overcharges, code violations, housing court procedures and fair housing laws

• Domestic violence, divorce, orders of protection, child support, visitation and custody

• Family preservation, parents’ rights, foster care, and family court abuse and neglect proceedings

• Government benefits including welfare, food stamps, disability benefits, Medicaid and Medicare

• Education law, Title 1, special education, overcrowding and discrimination

• Consumer issues including student loans, trade school fraud, debt collection, bankruptcy, public utility issues and home improvement fraud

• Employment, job discrimination, civil service issues and unemployment benefits

• HIV/AIDS permanency planning, wills, health care, guardianships, disability advocacy, housing, discrimination

• Senior citizen issues

To Learn More:

On Tuesday, April 3, PLS will host "Consumer Protection: Home Repair & Mortgage Fraud" at Queensboro Council for Social Welfare, located at 221-01 Jamaica Ave.

To speak with a QLSC lawyer or paralegal about a specific legal problem, visit the Jamaica office at 89-00 Sutphin Blvd., room 206, or call 657-8611. You can also visit the Long Island City office at 42-15 Crescent St., 9th floor, or call 392-5646.

For a schedule of the classes offered by "The People’s Law School," contact the community legal education director at the Long Island City office.