Outside the Courtroom: Lawyers in Our Community

LLA spotlight on Jennifer Heverly

Jennifer Heverly, “Jen”, is one of those people who can answer with a resounding “EVERYTHING” to the question posed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr which is “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

Jen’s entire reason for attending law school from 2000-2003 at Dickinson University at the ripe old age of 28 was so that could serve the community as a legal services attorney.

Since 1994, before she graduated from Lock Haven University, and well before she attended law school, Jen volunteered her time at the Clinton County Women’s Center, in existence since 1979. She has served on the Board of Directors or as an officer since 2007.The Center’s mission is to eliminate personal and institutional violence through supportive and cooperative practices in all aspects of individual programs and collective efforts. The Center provides safe shelter for male and female victims of sexual or domestic violence. In the last year the Center served there 279 new domestic violence clients, 124 new sexual assault clients, and 72 new shelter residents. These numbers include children also! Sadly, these numbers do not include the clients still being served from the prior year.

The Center is able to house a specific number of women and children in its facility for up to 30 days in most cases. For men in need of shelter, a motel room is provided. There is also a 24-Hour Hotline which assists callers with shelter services and also provides valuable advice and/or counseling to the victims.

Jen is also the treasurer at the North Central District AIDS Coalition, which was formed in 1991. Its difficult and complex primary objective is to seek and apply for federal and state grants. The Coalition serves 12 counties. Although, the Coalition’s main purpose is to obtain and distribute funding, it also provides training to various agencies and distributes up-to-date treatment information.

Thank you to Attorney Jennifer Heverly for the valuable time and energy she provides to community members in need when she is not working at her full-time job as a staff attorney at North Penn Legal Services.