Legal Aid @ Work! May news

Hello LAWM friends,

This year's Law Day (May 1) had the theme, The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One, reminding us that the Constitution establishes a shared commitment to liberty, justice, and the rule of law. This promise is the bedrock of American democracy and the fundamental reason legal aid exists.

While there is no right to a lawyer in civil matters, programs like ours seek to meet the need by providing free legal services to eligible individuals. It's an honor to serve clients like Estelle in this month's story, who was able to escape labor trafficking and abuse through her own courage and the work of our attorneys.

Also, we're delighted to report our final impact data for 2024! Kudos to our dedicated team of professional staff and our pro bono attorney volunteers for the work they do, ensuring that people who don't have money to pay for a lawyer DO have access to the legal help they need.

Talking of pro bono volunteers, read on for a great opportunity for attorneys to help preserve generational wealth for low-income families!

Estelle gets free from her trafficker

“Estelle” came to this country to marry a man who appeared to love her and have her best interests at heart – only to find he had, in fact, deceived her. The man coerced Estelle into working for him and kept her in fear through physical and verbal abuse and threats.

One day, her abuser locked her in the home and threatened to murder her if she tried to escape. Estelle courageously did escape, called the police, and got connected with an agency that referred her to us for legal help.

Our attorneys worked with Estelle to secure the divorce she so urgently needed from her trafficker and abuser. On the other side of this horrific experience, Estelle now has a real job, a safe place to live, and the relief of knowing she is finally free to pursue her own future.

What we accomplished in 2024!

The numbers are in! Last year we gave free legal advice or representation that helped a total of 7,850 adults and 6,427 children in West Michigan.

Every case means people getting the expert advice and legal help they needed to get through a tough situation:

partners getting safe from abuse
parents navigating custody and parenting time
tenants being able to advocate against unfair eviction
disabled seniors and veterans getting the benefits they deserve
and much more!

Help us protect generational homes for low-income families!

We're excited to launch five Family Foundations events to provide free estate planning services to eligible individuals who want to protect their home for the next generation. The clinics are happening between June 5 and July 1.

ATTORNEYS:

We still have openings for attorney volunteers for the Muskegon, Holland, St Joseph, and Kalamazoo events.
SIGN UP to volunteer! Or contact Noah Joseph njoseph@lawestmi.org (616) 608-8068.

SERVICE AGENCY PARTNERS:

Let your client communities know about this fantastic opportunity to get FREE estate planning to protect generational homes.
Please share the flyer below to help spread the word!