Lowcountry Legal Volunteers’ Legacy of Service: Celebrating 25 Years and Expanding Medical-legal Partnerships

• Citation: Vol. 36-6
• Year: 2025

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Lowcountry Legal Volunteers’ Legacy of Service: Celebrating 25 Years and Expanding Medical-Legal Partnerships

No. Vol. 36 Issue 6 Pg. 54

South Carolina Lawyer

May, 2025

Celebrating 25 Years and Expanding Medical-Legal Partnerships

BY ANNE CAYWOOD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOWCOUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS

For a quarter century, Lowcountry Legal Volunteers (LLV) has been a beacon of hope for individuals and families in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties. Since its founding, LLV has provided free legal services to those who need them most, ensuring access to justice regardless of financial status. As we celebrate 25 years of dedicated service, it is a moment to reflect on the organization's impact, growth, and unwavering commitment to justice.

A Mission Rooted in Service

Founded by Keri Olivetti in 2000, LLV was inspired by the Hilton Head Island Volunteers in Medicine, an organization that utilized retired doctors to provide free health care to low-income residents. Seeing this model, Olivetti envisioned a similar approach for legal services, engaging retired attorneys, paralegals and administrative professionals to serve the legal needs of low-income individuals.

Since its inception, LLV has pro vided 62,500 hours of pro bono legal services, valued at nearly $19 million, impacting more than 55,000 individuals. In the past year alone, LLV provided almost $3 million in free legal assistance.

Legal Services That Change Lives

LLV focuses on three primary areas of legal assistance: family law, life and future planning, and housing protection. Their goal is to remove barriers that prevent individuals from obtaining legal representation.

Family Law: Stability Through Legal Assistance

LLV helps clients secure stability through custody matters; child support and parental visitation; divorce cases, especially those involving minor children; clinics for uncontested divorces (without minor children)

Life &Future Planning: Legal Support for Peace of Mind

Many individuals only think about future planning when faced with unexpected challenges. LLV assists by creating durable and health care powers of attorney; preparing simple wills and handling probate matters; securing guardianship and conservatorship.

Housing Protection: Fighting for Safe and Stable Homes

Housing is a fundamental necessity, and LLV supports tenants by defending against eviction; addressing landlord-tenant disputes; securing the return of security deposits; improving unsafe or unhealthy living conditions.

Expanding Access Through Medical-Legal Partnerships

According to the National Center for Medical Legal Partnership, every low-income person has two to three unmet civil legal needs that can create barriers to healthy eating, healthy housing, employment, and safety. Addressing those needs can improve a person's health and help medical treatment work

Pictured left to right: Ivette Fernandez Foreit, paralegal; Andrea Santibanez, volunteer; Caroline Richards, paralegal; Kathy Kruger, volunteer; Hannah Kidd, MLP attorney; Sherry Fiske, volunteer; Anne Caywood, Executive Director/Managing Attorney.

more effectively. Medical legal partnerships bring health care providers and lawyers together as a multidisciplinary team to address these issues and provide comprehensive care to vulnerable residents to overcome health disparities. Recognizing the intersection of health and legal needs, LLV is partnering with local free medical clinics such as Hilton Head Island Volunteers in Medicine, Greater Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine, and the Beaufort Good Neighbor Medical Clinic to create Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs). These collaborations aim to:

• Provide educational clinics at medical facilities

• Offer on-site legal services to low-income patients

• Remove barriers such as transportation and trust issues that prevent

individuals from seeking legal help

• Improve overall patient health and wellness by addressing civil legal needs-which are often the root cause of stress and instability

In the Fall of 2023, supported by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, LLV launched its Medical Legal Partnership program. Then, in September 2024, Lowcountry

Legal Volunteers became the recipient of the Coastal Community Foundation's Catalyst Grant.

LLV's Medical Legal Partnership employees a full-time attorney, Hannah Kidd, who is available to meet with patient-clients in the familiar and convenient setting of their medical clinic. Her presence in the clinic also promotes an open dialogue with medical staff, which fosters engagement, and ensures needs are continued to be identified and met.

"The dedication of the staff and volunteers at our partnering medical clinics is inspiring," remarks Kidd. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work in partnership with such amazing organizations as we seek to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community."

In our rural communities, access to legal services can often be even more challenging. Understanding this, LLV is excited to partner with SC Legal Services (SCLS) to establish a Lowcountry Medical-Legal Partnership in Hampton County, further expanding access to critical legal and medical support for underserved communities. This initiative is being developed under the visionary leadership of Shunna Jeter, SCLS' Executive Director, through support from the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. LLV is grateful to learn from SCLS senior attorney Kirby Mitchell and his team at the Upstate Medical-Legal Partnership, whose expertise and experience continue to inspire and guide our efforts.

"SCLS is honored to partner with LLV on expanding the MLP approach to Hampton County, and beyond. For 25 years, LLV has demonstrated its commitment to helping clients tackle challenging legal needs," Jeter says. "Through the MLP, LLV will target civil legal needs directly affecting their client's health. Bringing together the incredible expertise of doctors and lawyers, coupled with the superpowers of social workers, transforms how we increase overall health outcomes in South Carolina."

Says Mitchell, "Sometimes the best prescription a doctor can give you is a civil legal aid lawyer. This is proving just as true at the Upstate MLP as it is with LLV's new MLP efforts in Hampton County. This is a win for all of South Carolina."

"The power of partnership cannot be overstated," says Kidd. "We are thrilled to be working alongside SCLS as we expand access to legal services in the Lowcountry and throughout the state."

Real Stories, Real Impact

One of the most inspiring success stories from LLV involves a young mother seeking legal help to protect her preschool-aged daughter. Her husband, who had the financial means to hire a private attorney, wanted to take the child out of state. LLV stepped in, providing legal representation and securing custody and child support- ensuring the mother could provide for her daughter.

But the support didn't stop there.

LLV's community partnerships helped secure home repairs to improve the child's living conditions and a scholarship for the child to attend a private preschool. Reflecting on the case, LLV's Executive Director, Anne Caywood, shares, "At the end of it all, she turned to us and said, 'I'm gonna get my GED next.' Seeing that evolution was incredibly touching. We get to work with people like this every day, empowering them to create a better future."

The Heart of LLV: Volunteers and Partnerships

At the core of LLV's success are its dedicated volunteers. Attorneys, paralegals, law students, and community members have all contributed their time and expertise, allowing the organization to extend its reach and maximize its impact. Partnerships with local bar associations, law firms, and nonprofit organizations have further strengthened LLV's ability to serve those in need.

Funding and Community Support

Unlike many nonprofit legal organizations, LLV does not receive federal funding. Instead, they rely on generous support from individual donors; community groups; churches; and local, state, and national foundations and grantors. LLV was originally started with support from the Hilton Head Island Fund, which later became the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.

Additionally, LLV has received amazing support over the years from the South Carolina Bar Foundation, whose generosity has played a crucial role in sustaining and expanding our services. Their commitment to justice has allowed LLV to continue advocating for the most vulnerable members of our community.

Caywood emphasizes, "We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from the local community and our funders. Without them, we wouldn't be able to serve the thousands of individuals who rely on us."

Celebrating 25 Years of Justice

In February, LLV marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration on Hilton Head Island. As part of this milestone year, they are hosting outreach events and fundraisers to engage the community.

Looking Ahead: A Call for Continued Support

As LLV embarks on its next 25 years, they remain committed to expanding access to justice for low-income residents. However, their success depends on the continued generosity of donors and volunteers.

Caywood expresses her heartfelt gratitude: "The keyword for all of us at Legal Volunteers is 'grateful.' We are honored to serve this community, and we appreciate every donation and volunteer who helps us continue our mission."

For those interested in supporting LLV, donations and volunteer opportunities can be found on their website at LowcountryLegalVolunteers.org and their social media pages.

By standing together, the Lowcountry community can ensure that justice remains accessible to all, regardless of financial means - a legacy worth celebrating for another 25 years and beyond.