Dear Friend,
The U.S. House of Representatives voted at the end of last month to cut some $70 Million from the Legal Services Corporation's (LSC) $394.4 Million budget for fiscal year 2010 that ended last October. If approved by Congress and the President, it means an 18 percent cut in LSC funding retroactive to October 2010 for the Legal Aid and Defender Association. This leaves thousands of low-income Metro Detroit residents without legal services from our offices in the coming year.
According to LSC:
Under the House proposal, about 160,000 fewer low-income people would receive civil legal assistance and 80,000 fewer cases would be handled by the LSC-funded programs. The proposed funding cut would force layoffs of about 370 staff attorneys and shut down some offices in rural areas.
We encourage all of our friends of Legal Aid to contact their U.S. senator urging them to reject the proposal from the House of Representatives and vote to increase or at least maintain current levels of funding. For more on this go to LSC funding.
Together, we can ensure that disadvantaged residents across southeast Michigan have access to professional legal services.
Sincerely,
Deierdre L. Weir
President & CEO
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Free and Low-Cost Legal Services Made Possible by You
 A single parent is one of our most common clients. They may be faced with a civil action or need counseling on a family legal matter and don't possess the financial resources to retain legal services.
Southeast Michigan residents have suffered greatly in the past several years and we are beginning to see improvements in our economy. However, the need for free and low-cost legal services through Legal Aid & Defender Association remains.
Learn more about our legal services here.
This is what we do -- provide legal assistance to disadvantaged residents of metro Detroit who would otherwise not have the capability. We have licensed attorneys and paralegals that have a passion for this work and the professionalism that is found at a large law firm. Without our agency, many metro Detroit residents would lose their homes, businesses, their income, and in some cases their freedom, and others may remain in unsafe environments.
We can only provide these legal services through the support of our partners and individual and corporate gifts. We ask you to consider a gift to Legal Aid & Defender Association, either a one-time contribution or a periodic gift spread over time. Visit our website or contact Tanya Cleveland at 313.967.5608. |
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About Legal Aid & Defender
 Legal Aid & Defender Association, Inc. is the largest provider of legal services to low- and moderate-income people in Michigan and one of the largest in the nation. Our service area comprises Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, including the City of Detroit, and Flint. We provide civil legal services to residents of all three counties. We represent defendants arraigned on criminal charges in Wayne County Circuit Court and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Our offices are located in Detroit, Pontiac, Mt. Clemens and Flint.
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