Our May 2019 Advocate of the Month is Tyler Brannon. Tyler joined LSA in 2015. Brannon specializes in family and domestic violence law. A graduate of George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, VA (2010), Brannon worked as a legal intern for FairVote in Maryland. Brannon currently serves as Staff Attorney at the One Place of the Shoals Family Justice Center in Florence, AL. Since starting at LSA Tyler has proved herself to be one of the hardest working and accomplished young attorneys with the program. In May, Tyler proved this once again by helping a large number of people with a wide variety of problems.

Among the people Tyler helped this month was a woman who came to LSA attempting to escape a 19- year abusive relationship. In that case, the client contacted LSA requesting help in getting a divorce and protection order from her husband who is addicted to drugs and extremely violent. With Tyler’s help, the client, after several violations of the protection order, was able to receive custody, child support and a permanent protection order, which would allow our client to move on with a fresh start in life.

In another case, Tyler represented an elderly woman who lived alone to deal with unscrupulous debt collectors. Tyler appeared in trial and proved that our client did not, in fact, owe the debt she was accused of owing. With Tyler’s help, this client was able to face the future with a peace of mind.

In a different case, Tyler helped a disabled veteran who was threatened with eviction by local public housing for housekeeping issues. Tyler argued at hearing that the public housing agency was legally required to work with the veteran so he could stay in his home. With LSA’s help, our client was able to remain safe and stable in his home.

In March, Tyler helped three different low income Alabamians to protect their property from garnishment so that they could continue supporting themselves and their families. In two of those cases, Tyler appeared and was able to protect the client’s wages on the basis that the client’s wages were constitutionally protected. In the third case, Tyler appeared and was able to protect a client’s bank account where the only money in the account was Social Security funds, which are exempt from collection by law.

Last month, Tyler helped numerous women escape the cycle of power, control, and violence including a case where a husband was sent to prison for five years for molesting the client’s children, a case where a man pretended to have cancer in order to manipulate his wife, and another case where Tyler arranged to serve an abusive spouse when he appeared shackled in the courthouse on unrelated charges.

Although we know this is very hard work to do, LSA is very proud to have Tyler on the front lines protecting the citizens of north Alabama. This month and every month, we here at LSA are very honored of the work done by Tyler! Good job, Tyler!

By: Michael Forton, Director of Advocacy