Big news! We’re delighted to launch Clean Slate Pathway, a project to expand our criminal record expungement work.

The goal: helping people move on from past mistakes to improve their present circumstances, including better access to jobs, housing, and other growth opportunities.
To do this, Pathway will build awareness about expungement’s value, recruit private-sector attorneys as volunteers to help people apply for expungements, and provide funds to help lower-income people with fees to get expungements.

Who benefits from these outcomes? All of us! By using expungement laws to knock down barriers to self-sufficiency, we will empower people who have already “done their time” to get good jobs, advance in careers, and access stable housing. Clean Slate Pathway leads to stronger, more prosperous West Michigan communities. 
Client Story: Helping a low-income senior put a stop to unauthorized billing
“Joseph” is a senior who gets by on Social Security retirement income, which still places him well under our poverty guideline.

He bought household items from a catalog totaling less than $250.00, through an installment plan. Joseph consistently made his monthly payments. He struggled to understand the monthly payment statements, but he realized that a charge for over 10% of the original purchase price kept showing up on each statement. 
He came to us for help making sense of this unexplained charge. We investigated, confirmed that these recurring charges were unauthorized, and discovered many complaints about the seller business’s billing practices. We stood up for Joseph, straightening out his account and ensuring he paid only what he owed.

This is why legal aid matters: when every dollar counts to our clients, we help them hang on to their hard-earned money.    
By The Numbers

Joseph is one of hundreds of seniors and their household members whom we serve each year.

In the first quarter of 2022 we helped 402 senior clients and household members.
Happening Now

  • May 4 – Virtual Housing Rights Seminar hosted by the City of Wyoming: 1-4pm. LAWM will talk about tenants’ rights in the eviction process. See more details and register.

  • The federal government’s pandemic “pause” on federal student loan repayment is extended through 8/31/22. See our updated 1-pagers below in English & Spanish.
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Spring Calendar
Here are some of our upcoming community education and pro bono training programs. All events are FREE!

Want to learn more or learn how we can work together? Contact Steve Grumm at [email protected]. 
May 7 - Criminal Record Expungement Fair

May 19 - Community Legal Education
Join us in making justice real for low-income Michiganders!
Every gift changes lives. Thank you!