It’s been 20 years since ALCC opened its doors to help people with HIV fight discrimination and overcome the barriers that impede their access to employment, public benefits, stable housing and other vital needs and services. Started in December 1987 by a concerned group of volunteers, the Council has grown significantly over the years, and today has a legal staff of nine assisting hundreds of clients annually at two office locations.

Recalling the early days of the Council’s history, when stigma and fear were rampant and medical treatments for HIV were virtually nonexistent, paralegal Justin Hayford describes how the Council’s staff worked in a constant crisis mode. “The majority of our cases were end-of-life issues. At least once a week, we would rush to someone’s bedside to draw up a will. We also fought the flagrant discrimination that was going on. We helped people who were getting kicked out of their apartments, denied medical care, fired from employment and who experienced other unjust treatment because of their HIV status. Stigma was so intense that people were afraid to come to us. So we would meet them in abandoned buildings and all sorts of strange places. I had a client pick me up and drive around the block over and over while we discussed his case.”

While the nature of the epidemic has changed dramatically since those early days, the need for legal assistance continues to be strong. At the end of FY’07, ALCC staff assisted nearly 900 clients with more than 1,370 legal cases. “Most of our work these days,” continues Justin, “is in fighting bureaucracies on behalf of people with HIV. But ALCC still delivers services the same way. We have never had a waiting list and we still rush to clients’ homes or wherever they need us to give them quick access to legal help."