The Turin branch of Street Lawyer turns ten. The association that offers free legal assistance for the homeless, born in Bologna in 2001, she arrived in Turin in 2014 and since then the rights of over 300 people.
From the right to residence to separation and divorce cases, from the recovery of work credits to the protection of people who are victims of violence and aggression I am various topics addressed by the association’s lawyers and paralegals, united, however, by the desire to give dignity and voice to the least, all free of charge.
«We are very happy to have managed to reach this important milestone – declares the lawyer Elena Viranocoordinator of the Turin desk- When operating in an association there is always the risk that the individuality of the individuals prevails over the group. In our case this did not happen and this is the strength of our branch. Every volunteer who was part of and is part of the association helped usto grow and improve and above all to concretely help all those who have turned to us».
The dense network of associations, bodies and institutions that have hosted the lawyers of Avvocato di Strada in recent years have undoubtedly also contributed to the success of the project. A network with which it is now time to take stock that goes beyond the numbers, with which to discuss a topic, that of homeless people, which is increasingly sparking debate among the citizens of the Piedmontese capital.
TO the lawyer will kick off the cycle of meetings designed to “take stock” of these first ten years Antonio Mumolonational president of the association, who will be in Turin Friday 21 June at 6.30pm at the Binaria bookshop – Dining Center of the Abele Group to present the book There are no lost causes. Lawyers and the street written to four hands with the journalist Giuseppe Baldessarro.
The presentation will be an opportunity to learn about the association, its history, the battles faced dinside and outside the courts, but also the many stories of those who turn to street lawyers.
The Turin journalist and writer spoke with the author Rosanna Caraci.
The meeting on June 21st will be Alone The first event to celebrate the ten-year milestone: in the autumn, in fact, a conference dedicated to operators and all those who participate will be heldthey deal with homeless to lay the foundations to face the challenges of the future.
The Street Lawyer Association: some numbers.
From 2001 to today, the street lawyer volunteers have protected over 40 thousand people.
To date the association is present in 60 Italian citiesaliane with 1334 lawyers and volunteers. 15 people work at the Turin desk, including lawyers, students and volunteers.
In 2023, 2691 people were assisted free of charge for a value of 1.8 million euros of the legal work made available free of charge to the latter.
The book There are no lost causes. Lawyers and the street. Intra Editions.
The invisible protagonists of contemporary poverty and the extraordinary mission of the Street Lawyer Association – Prefaction of HE Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, President of the CEI.
The first thing that comes to mind when you see a ‘bum’ sleeping on the streets is that it is a lost cause. We think so, even if sometimes we don’t even confess it to ourselves. In common language and in the collective imagination, the “lost cause” indicates a problem that is impossible to solve or a person who will not get back up. In legal language it also means fighting against windmills or bringing a lawsuit when you know cand the sentence will most likely be negative. For us there are no people who cannot be helped and there are no judgments that cannot be faced, even in very complicated situations, because there is always the possibility of obtaining innovative sentences. Just as it is always possible to try to build a better, more just world. For us there are no lost causes.
The authors
Antonio Mumolo (1962) labor law lawyer, lives in Bologna. He has always been committed to protecting the weakest people founding member of the Bologna Kurdistan Association, he is a founding member of the Friends of Piazza Grande Association, he is a founding member and President of the Street Lawyer Association. He edited the book “The rights and poverty”, a collection of legal cases relating to the painful figures of contemporary poverty, and the book “The rights of minors”, a collection of cases addressed in favor of minor children of homeless people .
Giuseppe Baldessarro (1967) professional journalist. Croniis from Repubblica, since 2015 he has lived and worked in Bologna, where he deals with judicial and crime news. He is the author of investigative books for which he has been awarded various awards. Among the best known, the “Pippo Fava” awards (Catania, 2010), “Borsellino” (Roseto degli Abruzzi, 2011), “Agende Rosse”, “Matita Rosse Penta Blu” (Fondazione Falcomatà, 2011 and 2016) and the third “Piersanti Mattarella” award (2018).
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