LCD’s mission is to empower low-income people with disabilities and the deaf and hard of hearing in the Philadelphia region to achieve inclusion, independence, and justice. LCD pursues its mission by providing free legal representation to the diverse population of low-income individuals and families living with disabilities in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties to help them overcome legal obstacles that would otherwise affect independence, health, or quality of life. We believe collaborative, community-based lawyering promotes equity, health, and well-being.
LCD was founded in 1987 through a joint effort of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and the Young Lawyers Divisions of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. LCD opened its doors at Magee in 1990, establishing one of the first medical-legal partnerships (MLP) in the nation, and the first in the Philadelphia region. LCD has strategically expanded the MLP Initiative, which now includes six partnerships operating at nine sites. LCD is the only organization in the Philadelphia region dedicated exclusively to providing legal aid to people with disabilities to reduce the harmful and compounding effects of poverty and disability. In 2024, LCD handled 1908 cases affecting 1675 unique clients and 4693 people (including clients and household members) in total.
LCD has been embedded in the Kensington community via the PhilaKIDS MLP at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children since 2011. Since that time, over 80,000 families have been screened for unmet legal needs; over the past five years, an average of 25% of families have self-identified unmet needs and nearly 6000 cases have been referred to the onsite LCD attorney to address legal needs that impact health and well-being. LCD’s MLP Initiative, including its longstanding work with St. Christopher’s Hospital, is rooted in the understanding that legal issues do not exist in a vacuum. Rather, an unmet legal need is often just one domino waiting to fall with devastating and cascading effects. Furthermore, LCD’s interdisciplinary approach recognizes that disciplines should not exist in silos, but rather, should combine each discipline’s strengths to promote more efficient and effective outcomes. By practicing “upstream” lawyering through its MLP Initiative, LCD strives to prevent crisis and remedy issues before they impact health and well-being.
