April news: Legal Aid @ Work!

Hello, LAWM friends!

When Michigan became a "Clean Slate" state by updating its criminal record expungement laws in 2021, we seized on Clean Slate as a tool to fight poverty. How? Because when low-income West Michiganders can expunge years-old criminal records and move on with their lives, it is easier to qualify for good jobs and housing. Clean Slate is about new life opportunities. And our entire region benefits when people are empowered to improve their lives.

In this month's newsletter we'll:

Highlight how a client cleaned her slate and got a good job
Invite attorneys to two upcoming (free!) continuing education programs
Share our flyer explaining LAWM's services for Spanish speakers
Link to our Spanish-language "Renters Rights" explainer video, produced with our partners at the Hispanic Center for Western Michigan
Look at two recent news stories about a source of legal aid funding that is set to disappear
Wish our federal funder, the Legal Services Corporation, a happy 50th!

A Clean Slate and a Job Opportunity

Denise came to LAWM for help because she wanted to work in the nursing field, but she had a criminal record for offenses which happened over a decade ago. Denise had changed her life and moved on, but her record would interfere with getting a good job.

Denise was also stuck in a catch-22: she owed money for restitution but her limited job prospects made it tough to afford payments. We advised Denise to start a payment plan with the courts, make consistent payments for a few months, and come back to us for representation to expunge her records. Denise did exactly that, and we represented her to get her a “clean slate.”

The outcome: with her records expunged, Denise got a job in nursing, giving her a stable income and some peace of mind.

Free Training Programs for Volunteer Attorneys

We're partnering with the Grand Rapids Bar Association on a series of attorney education classes. We encourage current pro bono volunteers and those interested in signing up to join us!

Learn more and register through the GRBA's online event calendar.

Here are our May and June classes -

LAWM's April divorce basics training

Reaching Spanish-Speaking Client Communities

Please share our Spanish language flyer explaining the kind of work we do, our client eligibility rules, and how to apply for help.

Comparta nuestro folleto en español que explica el tipo de trabajo que hacemos, nuestras reglas de elegibilidad de clientes y cómo solicitar ayuda.

Renters' Rights in Spanish

Check out and pass along this recent virtual education class we did about renters' rights with the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.

Vea y transmita esta reciente clase de educación virtual que hicimos sobre los derechos de los inquilinos con el Centro Hispano del Oeste de Michigan.

Eviction Diversion Funding is Ending, Creating Challenges for Legal Aid

Earlier this month a Detroit Free Press article, “Program that has prevented thousands of evictions in Michigan is running out of money” reported that funding for a legal aid program to help low-income people and families facing evictions “…is running out and there is no source of long-term funding in sight to continue what local legal aid leaders say is among the most effective ways of keeping people in their homes. Nonprofits will have to scramble to find funding…and maintain the higher level of legal services offered to tenants throughout the health crisis.”

LAWM Executive Director Pam Hoekwater said:

MLive also covered this emerging crisis, noting a 2022 report which found that almost 90% of the eviction cases where tenants had legal aid lawyers resulted in negotiated settlements between the tenants and their landlords.

Legal Services Corporation Celebrates 50 Years!

Fifty years ago, the United States Congress created the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to ensure that legal aid is available in every county in the U.S.

Our LSC funding is absolutely vital to our work. Over 40% of our annual revenue last year came from LSC through a competitive grant, providing a stable funding foundation for our advocacy even as we pursue other grants and donations to serve even more clients.

To show our support for LSC and help educate members of Congress about legal aid's importance, our Executive Director, Pam Hoekwater, joined dozens of other legal aid directors in visiting Congress last week.