Legal Services Of Eastern Mo Inc

Safety: our free legal representation assists survivors of domestic violence escape their cruel abusers. It not only saves the victims lives but also saves their children, and stops a future cycle of violence. We aided 2,116 victims and their family members in completed cases covering all aspects of family law, including protective orders. Our community legal education, outreach, collaborations, and referrals for needy people and other service providers, helped another 6,273 people. By addressing systemic legal problems impacting community members' safety we help prevent future abuse.

Basic needs: we reduce homelessness through eviction defense and help the marginalized obtain services to meet their basic needs. Services provided to veterans, elderly, unaccompanied minors, and immigrants, among others, helped 2,214 people and their household members in completed civil legal cases (note: this includes clients, household members under 18, and other household members 18 and older). Educating the community on their rights to meet their basic needs through legal education programs, outreach, collaboration, and referrals to other resources helped another 4,674 people. We help meet basic needs of the larger community through our systemic legal work.

Education: children's future self-sufficiency depends on meeting their educational needs. We focus on providing legal assistance to those with special needs or facing unfair discipline. Utilizing a racial equity lens to help stop the school to prison pipeline, we helped 574 children/youth and their household members in completed cases. Our community legal education provides knowledge of educational law, the first step to seeking help. These education programs along with outreach, collaborations, and referrals to other resources, helped another 3,105 people. We expand the results of our legal advocacy by addressing systemic legal problems impacting community members related to education.

Economic stability: enforcing fair consumer protections and combatting consumer scams, helping small businesses form and grow, and helping neighborhoods fix and prevent vacant property problems all create economic stability. This legal work helped 886 people and their household members in completed cases for clients. People learn about legal remedies through our community legal education on these economic stability issues, outreach, collaborations, and referrals to other resources, helping another 15,969 people. Our systemic legal advocacy helps remove barriers to economic stability.