JOIN US FOR OUR SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA NIGHT!

Tickets are available now at $25 per person or $250 for a table of ten.

Event sponsorship is also available - click on the button above for details
 or email Colleen Daum with any questions.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

The Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Board of Directors has appointed Karen Warren as Interim Executive Director.

Karen has dedicated more than 24 years to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and has served in senior leadership for almost a decade.

Throughout her tenure, she has helped guide the organization's growth, strengthened operations, and advanced our mission of ensuring equal access to justice for low-income individuals and families.

Karen brings deep institutional knowledge, thoughtful leadership, and an unwavering commitment to our clients, staff, and community. The Board has complete confidence in Karen as she leads the organization through this transition while the national search for our next Executive Director continues.

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

A student with a disability has a legal right to the supports and services needed to receive a free appropriate school education. Schools must also ensure that language barriers do not prevent students and families from fully participating in their education.

Yet Legal Services’ Health and Education Justice Initiative (HEJI) has been concerned that students who are English learners with disabilities may be systemically underserved, particularly when involved in school discipline. 

HEJI recently represented a 14-year-old student with ADHD whose family fled Syria and arrived in the United States as refugees in 2023. 

He had experienced significant trauma and only attended school sporadically before coming to the U.S. Because of language barriers and limited schooling, he faced significant challenges adjusting to the educational environment in a Special School District partner district.

Just months after arriving, the student began receiving repeated suspensions for behavior-related incidents. After a October 2025 incident involving an alleged threat, he was long-term suspended and placed on homebound instruction. The family struggled to understand the disciplinary and special education processes. Communication barriers made meaningful participation difficult.

HEJI filed an expedited special education due process complaint and a discrimination charge alleging disability and national origin discrimination. After extensive advocacy, the parties reached a settlement that allowed the student to return to school months earlier than expected.

The agreement included a new evaluation to better understand the student’s needs, additional special education and English learner services, significant compensatory education, counseling and behavioral supports, transportation assistance, financial compensation for the family, and attorneys’ fees. The agreement also required staff training focused on supporting students with disabilities, language needs and trauma histories, potentially benefitting other students with similar barriers.

This case highlights the importance of ensuring that all students—regardless of disability, language background, or refugee status—have meaningful access to education and the support they need to succeed.



EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS

Jefferson Foundation Grant to Support DV Survivors

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is grateful to the Jefferson Foundation for awarding a $30,000 grant to support the work of the Lasting Solutions Family Law Program in Jefferson County. This marks the third consecutive year the Foundation has invested in this critical work.

Through this renewed funding, Lasting Solutions will continue providing legal representation and supportive social work services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Jefferson County. The program assists clients with urgent family law matters such as orders of protection, custody, divorce and related legal issues that can be essential to helping survivors achieve safety and stability.

Lasting Solutions has long maintained a strong presence in Jefferson County, where survivors of abuse may face significant barriers to accessing legal help. With support from the Jefferson Foundation, Legal Services expects to serve approximately 20 to 25 Jefferson County residents impacted by abusive relationships.

“This grant helps ensure that survivors in Jefferson County do not have to face complex family law matters alone,” said Laura Halfmann-Morris, Co-Manager of the Lasting Solutions Family Law Program. “We deeply appreciate the Jefferson Foundation’s continued investment in this work and in the well-being of families throughout Jefferson County.”



The Jefferson Foundation is dedicated to supporting charitable and educational activities that promote individual and community health and well-being in Jefferson County. Its continued support strengthens Legal Services’ ability to help survivors protect themselves and their families while moving toward more stable futures.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY:

2026 FOR THE COMMON GOOD AWARDS

Proponents of the Basic Civil Legal Services Fund Perpetuity

Rory Ellinger Legislative Award

Tickets available now at $100 per person, including parking.

RSVP deadline: Monday, August 10, 2026

LEGAL SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY

RIGHT: In June, the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen presented Legal Services with a proclamation recognizing 70 years of service.

Pictured (left to right): Legal Services Board Member & St. Louis City License Collector Mavis Thompson; Legal Services Interim Executive Director Karen Nelson Warren; Alderwoman Jami Cox Antwi; Legal Services Board Member Linda Dailey; and former Legal Services Executive Director Dan Glazier.

BELOW & RIGHT: Also in June, we welcomed our summer interns in St. Louis, Hannibal & Union.

OTHER NEWS

70 Years of Justice - Help us Build the Next 70!

SUSTAINED SUPPORT THROUGH MONTHLY GIVING

Our goal is to build a community of 70 sustaining donors who provide reliable monthly contributions that strengthen and stabilize our work throughout the year.

With 29 current sustaining donors, we are encouraged by the progress already underway. Monthly gifts - often modest in size - provide dependable support that allows our attorneys and advocates to respond quickly when individuals and families urgently need legal assistance.

Throughout our 70th Anniversary year, updates and stories about the “70 in 70” initiative will continue to appear in our newsletters as we celebrate this milestone and invite more supporters to be part of the next chapter of our mission.

Interested in becoming a monthly supporter? CLICK HERE to set it up now.

Learn more about leaving a legacy gift HERE.

“Monthly giving felt like the right way for us to support Legal Services—steady, practical, and aligned with how we give in other parts of our lives. It’s a simple way to make a lasting difference.” - Liz and Steve Lenivy

WE ARE HIRING: CHECK OUT OUR CURRENT VACANCIES

We are currently accepting applications for the following roles:



• Staff Attorney - Consumer Law Program, St. Louis



• Paralegal - Housing Law Program, St. Louis

WE ALSO HAVE INTERNSHIPS AND TEMPORARY ROLES AVAILABLE.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

701 Market Street, Suite 1100

St. Louis, MO 63101

314.534.4200 / 800.444.0514

www.lsem.org

Serving 21 counties with

ACTION. JUSTICE. HOPE.