A heartbreaking piece this week in the New York Times (Oct. 26) spoke of circumstances all too familiar to the Law Project staff. The piece, though it specifically profiled youth in Oregon, highlights issues faced by runaway homeless youth nationwide—physical abuse that often prompts youth to leave home, lack of resources once they are out on their own, and the difficulty of staying afloat without identification, finances, or a stable place to sleep at night.
 
Beth Cunningham, the Law Project’s Youth Futures attorney, works specifically to assist unaccompanied homeless and runaway youth in and around Chicago with issues like reenrolling in school and obtaining identification. Her clients include teens in the situations described in these stories.
 
The article, part of a series, can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26runaway.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=runaway&st=cse

- Claire Lombardo, Law Intern