What Is Legal Aid
Legal Aid is a program designed to help those who can’t afford private attorneys. It provides a range of services from brief advice to direct representation in court for criminal cases. Pro bono programs that offer free legal services are part of the Legal Aid umbrella. Grant funding and donations from individuals, businesses, and other organizations fund the Legal Aid movement. It’s not just a cause, providing legal aid is something governments have a duty to do through their courts system.
Legal Aid has played an essential role historically. It began during the 19th century and initially concentrated on addressing social issues . In the 20th century, it evolved into what we know today where attorneys offer services to clients in need of assistance with legal matters. They include family law attorneys offering services to low-income families. They also include attorneys assisting qualified low-income individuals facing criminal charges. Attorneys may offer pro bono legal services that help with bankruptcy, housing, immigration, employment, and other areas of law, depending on the nature of a client’s legal issue. Legal Aid doesn’t limit itself to direct representation, but it may also provide assistance with finding out about one’s rights with pamphlets, referral services, websites, or even clinics.
Eligibility Requirements for Legal Aid in Lansing
Eligibility for legal aid in Lansing, MI is a matter of annual income and the type of matter in question. Individuals and families with incomes that exceed the poverty level are often not eligible for free legal assistance. Low-income individuals may receive assistance with divorce cases, child support disputes and other family law matters including paternity actions. Eligibility is largely determined according to the family size as well as household income. Organizations that provide pro bono legal aid in Lansing maintain certain income thresholds that correspond with the federal poverty level. Federal law requires that annual income be at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level in order to qualify for free legal aid. As of January 2017, the poverty rate for an individual was $12,060 and the poverty rate for a family of four was $24,250. In practice, many organizations will require that families have incomes of 49 percent or less of the poverty level, particularly in metropolitan areas like the Lansing Newsome Law Offices. Individuals looking for legal aid in Lansing can apply for services online. There is a separate application for individuals seeking free legal representation for family law matters. The latter type of application should be completed only by individuals who meet eligibility guidelines.
Top Resources for Legal Aid in Lansing
The city of Lansing, MI has a variety of non-profit organizations that operate to provide free or low-cost legal services to residents facing financial difficulties. Below are some of the key organizations and resources available.
Legal Services of South Central Michigan
A non-profit organization with the mission to advance and enforce the civil legal rights of low-income people in seven counties, including Ingham County. Legal Services offers services in civil matters to people below 125% of the federal poverty level. The organization also conducts outreach events and public education workshops, and helps educate community leaders about key policy issues. Legal Services of South Central Michigan does not accept cases in family law.
Volunteer Legal Services of Greater Lansing
An affiliate of the State Bar of Michigan, where attorneys donate their time to represent low-income people. Volunteer Legal Services provides brief consultations for in-house clients and greater Lansing residents who call the office. The organization also accepts cases involving family law, custody, guardianship, and public benefits.
Ingham County Legal Self-Help Center
Operated by the Ingham County Circuit Court, the Legal Self-Help Center is for those who are required to appear in court without legal representation. Relying on volunteers to staff the center, Ingham County Legal Self-Help Center provides assistance preparing certain forms, but does not represent or act through its volunteers. It is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Michigan Legal Help Program
Created by the State Bar of Michigan to provide self-help legal information and resources to Michigan residents who do not have a lawyer. Information and resources are provided at no cost and include answers to frequently asked questions, self-help tools, and guidance for using the Legal Self-Help Center at a local court.
Applying for Legal Aid in Lansing
Applying for legal aid isn’t that scary – or complicated – a process. All you have to do is have the following paperwork and information ready:
• Proof of income (if you’re already on public assistance, take copies of your EBT/MEDICARE card with you)
• Your social security number
• Your address
• Any pertinent medical records (only if they are directly related to your case)
• If relevant, your minor children’s social security numbers and birth certificates
• Copies of all relevant legal documents, including pleadings, motions, the answer, or any other paperwork showing what your case is about
Once you have the paperwork handy, just visit the legal aid center nearest you, and tell them you’d like to apply for legal aid. They will provide you with an application to fill out. Before you begin to fill out the application, remember that there is a statute in Michigan that prohibits attorneys from taking a case with an existing legal aid application under consideration by another provider or organization. In other words, if you’re already in the process of applying with another outlet, don’t be surprised if transportation for the first one is offered to you in the interim.
Fill out the application to the best of your ability – don’t lie, obviously, but make it known up front if you don’t have certain information that they might ask you for.
Then, return it to them for processing. For a complete overview of legal aid in Michigan and a directory of statewide centers, visit the Michigan Poverty Law Program’s website.
What Legal Issues Does Legal Aid Cover?
A vital resource for Lansing residents, legal aid clinics can often assist with a wide variety of legal issues. While their resources may be limited by state-funded programs, many local clinics have partnerships with private attorneys that can help to bridge the gap between the services provided by a clinic and the needs of the community. Many clinics focus on family law, as free and low-cost family law services are among the most difficult to find in Michigan. Family law issues include child custody, parental rights, divorce, child support, spousal support, division of marital property and domestic violence. These services are often rendered by law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys; while outcomes can vary, they may be worth your consideration as an alternative to hiring a private attorney . Housing is another legal issue that clinics may be able to assist with. Housing matters that can be addressed by your clinic of choice include home closings, evictions, landlord-tenant agreements and tenant rights. Public housing issues may also be covered. Many clinics also operate tax preparation and debt counseling programs for those who are struggling to make ends meet. Other types of legal matters that can be handled by Lansing legal aid clinics include matters such as criminal law, consumer protection and unemployment benefits appeals. Although many of these issues may seem outside of the typical scope of a clinic, they may be able to provide referrals to attorneys who can help.
Legal Aid Success Stories
Real-life case studies can drive home the value of legal aid in Lansing. One of the most notable examples comes from a couple whose housing was at risk. Sandra and Mark Miller were on the brink of being evicted due to a spurious nuisance-related lawsuit. Despite regularly paying their rent and having no criminal records, their landlord found them to be a nuisance due to their loud voices. Sandra worked for the state as a social worker, and Mark was unemployed at the time. An attorney with the State Bar of Michigan Civil Rights Litigation Committee, connected with the Millers through the nonprofit where Sandra worked. A Rapid Response Team (RRT) of pro bono attorneys went to work and ended up donating 350 hours of work in total to defend the Millers. Ten months after the first court date, the judge ruled in favor of the defendants. The Millers remained in their home, with no eviction on the record to affect credit, housing, and employment prospects.
Given the Challenge, Legal Aid Still Succeeds
Despite its many benefits, legal aid in Lansing also faces numerous challenges. The most pressing concern is the sheer volume of demand compared to the exceedingly limited supply of services. Whether it comes in the form of a housing crisis, pre-trial advice on criminal charges, or child custody entanglements, the Lansing area is struggling to meet the demand for legal assistance. Current estimates suggest that the need for legal aid services outstrips available resources by more than 50%. Unfortunately, many legal aid programs in Lansing are powered by countless hours of volunteer work from local attorneys. Without this level of pro bono work, these organizations would be unable to provide anything close to current service levels.
Funding is another constant issue that has plagued legal aid in Lansing. With a loss of interest from lawyers and a decline in IOLTA revenue, many legal aid organizations are now forced to restrict their size and funding, although they may still be able to manage a large caseload. It should come as no surprise that funding is in crisis, considering ebbs and flows caused by economic hardship and the resulting burden of increased demand for services. On a national level, for example, the FY2016 legal aid appropriation was $484,600,.000. Yet, an alternative metric suggests a much larger figure: $1.1 billion is the total unmet need for low-income families. Put simply, the demand for legal aid services in Lansing far exceeds the ability of non-profits to meet that need.
Perhaps the single biggest area for improvement involves the outreach of legal aid services. When one considers the magnitude of unmet legal needs in Lansing, the fact that the target audience for legal aid services has remained largely unchanged, there’s an obvious need for a different approach. Legal aid organizations reach out through coordinated outreach strategies, program-specific websites, and social media updates, but the net effects has not resulted in a substantial increase in eligible applicants. Meanwhile, low-income individuals and families in need of legal services continue to face difficult odds when trying to obtain quality legal services. If legal aid in Lansing, and more broadly across Michigan, is going to be successful, it will come down to three key items: a comprehensive outreach strategy, substantial funding, and the continued support of local attorneys via pro bono work.
Get Involved with Legal Aid
Law students and attorneys can volunteer their time to legal aid in a number of ways. Most legal aid organizations offer pro bono opportunities, and there is likely great flexibility on the hour and type of work involved. Mentorship or educational opportunities, either with law students or lawyers, may also be available. In Lansing, Michigan, the Capital Area Legal Assistance Center (CALAC) frequently recruits volunteers who can offer brief advice and counsel to low-income Lansing residents, among other things.
CALAC allows both law students and attorneys to volunteer, and a database of opportunities can be found on their website. The Michigan Poverty Law Program, which serves the entire state, has a similar tool on their site to search for open pro bono roles.
There are a number of organizations that invite support in the form of donations. Many legal aid offices in Lansing appear to have donation links on their websites. In addition , Justice for All Michigan accepts donations in any amount on their website to help fight for underrepresented individuals and provide funding for the "Justice Bus," a fully loaded mobile legal offices that travels across the state.
Law students and attorneys can also advocate for legal aid by contacting Michigan legislators and urging them to support the recently introduced Home Court Advantage: The Importance of Civil Legal Aid in Michigan report. Advocating at local city council meetings can also profit from the support of attending law students, especially organizations that have been invited by the council.
In addition, there are academic and social groups in many law schools in Michigan that help direct students to various opportunities to get involved in legal aid work in the state.