Hello, LAWM friends!

As the holiday season begins, we are reflecting on two things. First, we are so thankful for the support we receive from donors inside and outside the legal community.

Join in the giving TODAY, Giving Tuesday! and know that your support makes a world of difference in the lives of the clients we serve!

Second, we are excited about what we do! It's not always easy - this month's client story highlights how important our lawyers' work is in helping domestic abuse survivors get safe - but it is always important. We give people a voice in the justice system when they have very little money and feel like they have even less power. This is about fairness for all, and we are privileged to deliver fairness and hope for families, seniors, workers, kids, and other West Michigan neighbors.

In this newsletter:

“Ellen” contacted us to get safe from her husband who was physically abusive and even threatening to kill her. He was arrested for his abuse and Ellen knew she needed to leave the marriage and start fresh. During this emotionally traumatic time, we represented Ellen in court and supported her throughout the process.

The result? We secured an end to the abusive marriage and Ellen got herself safe by moving out of town for that fresh start.

Your donations fuel our work to help people like Ellen, and Rose, and James, and Calvin, and Celine and the thousands of others we serve each year.

If you are able, please keep putting fuel in our tank! We make every dollar count for our clients.

Help spread the word about energy assistance and utility shutoff protection programs in Michigan this winter. You can download a pdf of the 2-page flyer pictured below here.

Each program has different eligibility qualifications and requirements. Please read them carefully in case they impact eligibility for other assistance programs. For more info on these protections, along with other assistance programs available in Michigan, visit https://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/consumer/get-help.

Back by popular demand! In January we will hold a series of Donuts & The Law education programs for social services professionals! Our "Donuts" programs provide non-attorney professionals with a nuts & bolts overview of an important legal issue impacting our shared client communities.

Mark your calendars, and we'll share registration details for each location soon! If you would like an invite for yourself or others at your organization, email Steve Grumm.

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With our partners at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, we are providing a Spanish-language overview of Michigan's Clean Slate expungement laws. We'll use Facebook Live to deliver the virtual program.

Our Holland office, which serves clients in Ottawa and Allegan counties, is moving!

Holland office phone numbers and email addresses will stay the same.