Hello, LAWM friends! It's the January newsletter!

  • Read a story about a LAWM attorney challenging an inaccurate claim that our client had to repay Unemployment Insurance benefits which helped her get by after she lost work to the pandemic.
  • We are hosting our world-famous (kind of) Donuts & The Law education programs for social services professionals! We start in Grand Rapids and Muskegon in early March—register below! Donuts will also travel to the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph areas—stay tuned.
  • But wait there’s more: below we’ve got free handouts and legal-explainer videos, along with info on warming centers throughout Western Michigan.

Last, we offer a big heartfelt THANK YOU to the donors who made our end-of-year Annual Campaign so successful. Every dollar counts for us and our clients, and you came through bigtime. For those who would still like to give, you can donate here anytime!
Client Story: Righting a Wrong & Making Ends Meet
Many people who lost jobs to the pandemic also experienced confusion, delays, and wrongful denials of Unemployment Insurance (UI) funds. “Linda” was hired for a new job just before the pandemic. When it hit, the job disappeared.

For a while Linda relied on UI funds to get by, but then she got a surprise notice claiming she was overpaid by more than $20,000, which she had to repay. Shocked by this, Linda advocated for herself and got the alleged overpayment amount reduced. But she came to us because she was still on the hook, did not think she owed anything, and was not getting benefits she deserved during the dispute.

We took the case and stood up for Linda at a hearing to resolve the confusion. The outcome: Linda was right! She was not overpaid, and she was entitled to nearly $10,000 in back benefits. The impact for Linda: an injustice corrected, precious funds to make ends meet, and peace of mind.
Donuts & The Law is Back!
Free “legal basics” programs for employees with nonprofits, government agencies, and other social services providers!

  • What: Preserving & Protecting: Legal issues which impact lower-income homeowners and buyers
  • Who should register: staffers with service-provider organizations who want to learn the legal basics. This is a class by lawyers for non-lawyers.
  • When:
Eastern Ave. Church, 514 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

United Way of the Lakeshore, 31 East Clay Ave, Muskegon, MI 49442

  • Why: Learn useful stuff! Network with new people! Eat free donuts!
  • How: Let’s do this! Registration is required! (click on an image below to go to the relevant Eventbrite page)
Resources
Explainer videos. Our friends at Lakeshore Legal Aid made easy-to-understand videos about child support, tax foreclosures, requesting supervised parenting time, and more.
Check out these short and sweet tax info videos from Tom Toft, our Low Income Tax Clinic Attorney:
And finally, here’s info on where to find a warming shelter in our region this winter.
Every gift changes lives. Thank you!