Indy Legal Aid's Holiday Attorney Campaign kicked off on GivingTuesday with a goal of raising $400,000 by December 31. Last year the campaign received just over $200,000. We feel confident that we will meet this goal through the dedication and perseverance of our campaign chair, Lee Christie, Christie, Farrell, Lee & Bell, and our committee members Ali Bartlett, Bose McKinney & Evans; Michael Griffiths, Dentons; Renea Hooper, Scopelitis Garvin Light Hanson & Feary; Ryan Hurley, Faegre Drinker; Travis Jensen, Johnson Jensen; John McLaughlin, Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse; Scott Oliver, Lewis Kappes; John Trimble, Lewis Wagner; and Kent Winingham, Wilson Kehoe Winingham.

Team captains have been chosen at law firms throughout Central Indiana to engage their colleagues, family and friends to get out the word about Indy Legal Aid and encourage them to support our work.

“The Indianapolis Legal Aid Society is the law firm for the disadvantaged members of our community who need legal assistance.  Without the work and dedication of the lawyers and staff at the ILAS, the legal needs of so many people would be unsatisfied or the courts would be overburdened with multitudes of pro se litigants who are unable to navigate the legal system," said Lee Christie, Campaign Chair. "It is up to the lawyers and law firms in our community to assist these individuals and the courts and there is no better organization for lawyers to donate to.”

"We'd like to thank Lee, the committee, and our enthusiastic team captains who are helping us with the campaign," said John Floreancig, Indy Legal Aid General Counsel and CEO. "The holiday donations we receive are critical in providing services to our clients in 2022."

You can donate online HERE or by sending a check to:

“Alice” contacted Indy Legal Aid after receiving a notice from her landlord that the landlord was not renewing her lease at the end of the lease term. Alice did not understand the terms of her lease and did not understand her rights and obligations, as well as the rights and obligations of the landlord.

Alice, who is disabled, was on a fixed income and was also the primary caretaker for her mother. This was a case where both the Indy Legal Aid attorney and social worker joined forces to provide holistic services to Alice so that she would remain permanently housed. The Indy Legal Aid attorney reviewed Alice's lease to make sure that the landlord was following the terms set out in the lease and spent significant time with Alice explaining the law and working with Alice to set goals for her future housing.

While the Indy Legal Aid attorney negotiated with the landlord to try to get Alice additional time she needed to find a new place to live, the Indy Legal Aid social worker researched housing options for Alice and even contacted a realtor who worked in the neighborhoods where Alice wanted to live. Unfortunately, Alice had paid application fees prior to contacting Indy Legal Aid that were accepted from landlords even though housing units were not available. The Indy Legal Aid Social Worker educated Alice on when and when not to pay an application fee for an apartment.

After many hours spent with Alice, Indy Legal Aid was happy to learn that both Alice and her mother found a new place to live where they were secure and happy. This case demonstrates the need for individualized client goal setting and holistic case management. It also demonstrates the increased ability to provide effective service delivery when social workers become part of the legal team that assists underserved individuals.

Indy Legal Aid's Board President, John C. Trimble, partner at Lewis Wagner, was recently awarded the Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award by the Defense Research Institute (DRI) during its annual awards program in Boston.

More information regarding John's award can be found HERE.

Indy Legal Aid's 9th Annual Timeless Tips from the Bench and Bar was our first hybrid event, both live and virtual, and was considered a huge success.

For more information, click here.

We have several ways for you to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable Hoosiers in Central Indiana. Approximately $.90 of every dollar donated to Indianapolis Legal Aid Society is directly used to provide programs and services. For more information, click here.