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> Archived News
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Archived Articles |
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Journal Record's 50 Making A Difference Honoree's
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The Oklahoma Journal Record announces the 28th annual '50 Making a Difference' Honorees. This year's honorees include Karen Langdon, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Tulsa Law office pro bono coordinator.
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Oklahoma Womens' Network Blog - 08/15/2008
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Planning a Will Often Procrastinated
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While no one wants to dwell on his mortality, planning a will can save a lot of frustration and expense for family members left behind.
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Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise.com - 08/04/2008
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Tues., July 29, Statewide Primary Elections-Go VOTE!
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Exercise your right to VOTE: Tuesday, July 29th, statewide primary elections!
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 07/28/2008
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Catherine Koss, Legal Aid Pro Bono Attorney of the Month, May 2008
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Catherine Koss, Legal Aid Pro Bono Attorney of the Month, May 2008
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OKC Bar Briefcase - 05/30/2008
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Paralegal Helps Civilian Filers Who Go It Alone
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The Journal Record - 05/06/2008
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Attorney Joins Stilwell Legal Aid Staff
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David P. Madden has joined Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. as staff attorney in the Stilwell Law Office.
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 03/10/2008
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Free Tax Prep Help - VITA Sites
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Legal Aid Services of Okahoma, Inc. - 02/27/2008
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Free Tax Prep Help - OILS Tax Clinics
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Free Tax Help: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics (OILS)
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 02/07/2008
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Free E-File Federal & State Income Tax Returns
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E-File options for Federal & OK State Income Tax Returns. Free for LowIncome Tax payers
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 02/07/2008
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Natiowide 800 EITC Number
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Taxpayers call 888-4-EITC-4U (888-434-8248) and are greeted with an automated message with eligibility guidelines and are routed to a local agency for help.
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LSC - 02/06/2008
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Free Help for Victims of Identity Theft & Financial Fraud
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma partners with Texas Legal Services, Colorado Legal Services & New Mexico Legal Aid to help victims of id theft & financial fraud.
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Texas Legal Services Center - 01/30/2008
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Legal Aid Services Opens WEATHERFORD Office-February 1, 2008
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma announces the opening of a NEW Law office in Weatherford!
109 South Broadway Street
Weatherford, OK 730...
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Legal Aid Services of Okahoma, Inc. - 01/29/2008
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LSC's Response to GAO Report on Grants Manamement and Oversight
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Statement from the President and the Chairman of the Board of the Legal Services Corporation on the GAO's Report on LSC Grants Management and Oversight
Washington, DC--LSC President Helaine M. Barnett and Board Chairman Frank B. Strickland today issued the following statement regarding the Government Accountability Office Report, Legal Services Corporation-Improved Internal Controls Needed in Grants Management and Oversight:
"We consider our stewardship of the taxpayer's dollars as one of our most important responsibilities and have informed GAO that we will implement all recommendations made to LSC management and Board in the report. In addition, we have no tolerance for any spending of grantee funds outside the law or the regulations of the LSC and have formally referred all potential violations noted in the report to our Office of Inspector General (OIG). The referrals have been accepted by the OIG and we will take whatever actions are warranted when all of the facts are known. We will remain vigilant in addressing all issues brought to our attention by this report."
More specifically, LSC management and Board have responded to GAO that they will work with the OIG to ensure stronger, better documented, and better coordinated internal controls. LSC will issue a complete listing of the actions to be taken when the report is formally released by GAO.
Update: Responses to the GAO report from LSC's Board of Directors and LSC Management are now available. Download the Board's response. Download Managment's response.
LSC is an independent, non-profit Corporation created by the Congress in 1974 to promote equal access to justice and to provide high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. The Corporation gives grants to independent, local programs--in 2007, 138 programs with more than 900 offices nationwide. Grants are awarded through a competitive process. The size of each grant is based on the number of people living in poverty in a given state or geographic service area.
Last year, LSC-funded programs closed 900,000 civil cases for clients of all races and ethnicities, young and old, the working poor, people with disabilities, single parents, veterans, victims of domestic violence, and victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and victims of the recent foreclosure crisis. LSC-funded programs make a meaningful difference in the lives of their clients-helping them secure basic human needs such as safe and habitable housing, access to needed health care, a job that pays a living wage, protection from abusive relationships, and assistance in preventing foreclosures.
For more information: www.lsc.gov.
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Legal Services Corportation - 01/24/2008
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Election Protection Project Hosts Hotline for February 5th Primaries
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The Election Protection Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), is hosting voter hotlines that anyone may call if they h...
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Election Protection Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL) - 01/24/2008
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Right to Civil Counsel ("Civil Gideon")
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The Problem: Americans Without Access to Representation in Important Civil Legal Matters
“It is self evident to judges, practicing attorneys, and thoughtful persons, that in most instances indigent persons without counsel are not receiving the same quality of justice as those with counsel and are effectively deprived of meaningful access to the courts.” —In re the Marriage of Michael Steven King v. Brenda Leone King, Brief Amicus Curiae of Retired Washington Judges in Support of Appellant(1).
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Drum Major Institute for Public Policy - 01/23/2008
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Election '08-Pro-Civil Justice Presidential Platform
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy would like thank the following people who contributed to the publication of this report: for his work authoring and researching sections of the report during his time at DMI, Cyrus Dugger, former Senior Fellow in Civil Justice at the Drum Major Institute; for her research support, feedback and guidance, Amy Traub, Director of Research at the Drum Major Institute; for their feedback and guidance, Joanne Doroshow of the Center for Justice and Democracy, Chad Marlow of The Public Advocacy Group, Michael Quirk, Civil Justice Fellow Advisor for the Drum Major Institute, and Michael Townes Watson of Horatio Press; and the entire DMI staff for their various and countless roles in the publication of this report.
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Drum Major Institute for Public Policy - 01/23/2008
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Oklahoma On-Line Tax Returns
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I-CAN! E-file can help you file your taxes f...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 01/23/2008
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Nell Shaw Welcomed Many Into Family
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Long time Legal Aid Board Member, Nell Shaw, passed away Friday, January 4, 2008. Article remembers her many kindnesses.
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Daily Oklahoman - 01/10/2008
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Suit Against Phony Legal Aid Operation Preying on California Seniors and Disabled
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Morrison & Foerster Brings Suit against Phony “Legal Aid” Operation Preying on California Seniors and the Disabled in Distress
10/19/2007
--...
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Morrison & Foerster - 11/27/2007
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Legal Aid Opens New Office Location in McAlester
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma opens a new Law Office in McAlester, Oklahoma, May 1, 2007!
The new office is located at:
1335 East Carl Albert ...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 09/05/2007
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Ada Law Office Moves
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Ada Law Office Moves
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. moved it's Ada Law Office to a new location- 410 South Mississippi. 580-332-7...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - 09/05/2007
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Online Service Empowers Attorneys
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Online Service Empowers Attorneys
Ralph Schaefer
9/28/2006
Attorneys wanting to do pro bono work with Legal Services of Oklahoma now can go to a website to get started.
Margaret Hamlett Shinn, Community Education/Pro Se Coordinator, said ProBono.net/OK has just gone online and empowers existing legal aid and probono organizations with innovative and high quality technology.
It has taken the work of many people from throughout Oklahoma to get the program ready, she said. Those from Tulsa include Dallas Ferguson, Tulsa County Bar Association, and Mary Ann Blair, University of Tulsa professor of family law.
This new program is designed to help those wanting to work in pro bono law.
Now, lawyers wanting to volunteer can check opportunities with just a few clicks, Shinn continued. All Oklahoma pro bono organizations now can post their most recent lists on ProBono.new/Ok’s volunteer now page.
There are times when attorneys get a break between cases and are able to spend time in the pro bono arena, she continued. That single case can make the difference between someone getting the legal help they so desperately need.
The program has been developed by Legal Services Corporation which sponsors and has developed the program, Shinn said. This allows the use of Lexus Nexus programs. It also allows lawyers to collect information needed to assist clients.
Client files are secured on the website and only the lawyer working on the case can access that information, she said. The new website makes it possible to match needed pro bono services with law firms. Firms have worked closely with host organizations to build online libraries in other states.
It also allows law firms to make significant in-kind contributions of in-house resources, including word processing, conversion of documents to HTML and scanning.
There are nearly 200 registered users of ProBono.net/Ok from the legal aid community, Shinn said. ‘‘But we have just scratched the surface and more help is needed.
Financial support is needed and as the network grows, broader support is needed from legal, business and foundation companies. Hopefully, the work will be seen as a service that is provided low income and elderly Oklahomans.
The bottom line is the new services provides more and more services to people, she said.
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Tulsa Business Journal - 08/08/2007
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Helping Homeless Have Hope
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Helping Homeless Have Hope
Ralph Schaefer
3/12/2007
Adrienne Watt gets a great deal of satisfaction helping homeless people.
The Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma staff attorney working with the Homeless Legal Assistance Project is hoping to expand her work to include youth.
She is closely monitoring similar activities assisting the homeless in other parts of the U.S., taking particular note of ‘‘Homeless Courts’’ that are being established on the west coast.
Even though working with young people is a long-term goal, Watt finds her clients are appreciative of the help provided through Legal Aid. These are people who often feel they have no hope and will get no help from the system.
Some people are wary about possibly getting assistance, she said. But, as they realize they are getting assistance, they warm up and become more cooperative.
‘‘I have had clients in the homeless community who were in the middle class of society,’’ Watt continued. Some have held jobs for 25 or 30 years. They had good jobs, a home, car and life’s amenities. Health issues for one client caused him to lose his job and eventually everything he had.
‘‘I can’t tell you the number of people that told me they couldn’t believe this was happening to them,’’ she continued. Some people have been in the poverty cycle for years. Some are highly educated — including lawyers — with professional degrees. There is no one typical homeless person. Most are men, but there is a significant number of women and children known as the ‘‘hidden homeless.’’
The Homeless Legal Assistance Project is funded by grants from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and from the Ann and Henry Zarrow Foundation, she said. The objective is to provide legal assistance to homeless people in Tulsa County.
The mission is two-fold — housing and income assistance.
Helping people stay in a residence is a priority.
It might mean helping a person about to be evicted from an apartment unable to pay rent because they lost their job or had major medical expenses. Generally, these individuals have been homeless once before and are living in subsidized units.
Sometimes Watt finds herself helping a homeless person, having been denied because of an incorrect credit report, get a place to live. It might mean helping someone get a criminal record expunged so they can qualify for housing.
Sometimes, family law issues also must be resolved in housing cases.
Income protection for homeless is part of the practice, Watt said. Many homeless people qualify for Social Security Disability or the supplemental income. It is well documented that a significant number of homeless have one or more disabilities. Sometimes it is necessary to help people get food stamps.
One client recently was approved for disability income and now is beginning ‘‘to see the light at the end of the tunnel.’’
Legal issues also impact homeless.
Some are working, but their wages are garnished and as a result do not earn enough to pay for housing, she said. Some families qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and need assistance to get the payments started.
There are times when Watt is called on to help those receiving Social Security Supplemental Income. Occasionally the Social Security Department will determine that over payments have been made. The money is collected by reducing the amount of the $623 monthly check. That payment already is well below the poverty line and it is so important people receive the full payment to survive.
Watt is not alone in providing legal services to the homeless.
There is a Legal Aid staff member at the Day Center for the Homeless, 415 West Archer, four days each week to provide legal advice to clients. The center is next to the Salvation Army Center of Hope and these people also have access to the legal help.
Outreach help also is provided at the Tulsa County Emergency Shelter, 2401 Charles Page Blvd., she said. This facility is primarily for families.
Watt also supervises University of Tulsa College of Law students at the John 3:16 Mission, 506 N. Cheyenne.
‘‘I provide poverty law training for the law students,’’ she said.
In addition, she works closely with other agencies receiving grants to assist the homeless. These include the Mental Health Association, Volunteers of America and others providing a continuum of care for this segment of the population.
Watt, who earned her law degree from Georgetown University, said her goal was to find a job with a legal services agency.
‘‘Those jobs are hard to find and I want to help people,’’ she said.
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Tulsa Business Journal - 08/08/2007
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Dissatisfaction Changes Job Focus
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Dissatisfaction Changes Job Focus
Ralph Schaefer
9/4/2006
John P. Kerr, J...
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Tulsa Business Journal - 08/08/2007
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma is Growing
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Imagine what it would be like to be poor and about to be evicted because you complained about the leak that occurs every time it rains. Or your spouse abuses you, the violence is beginning to escalate, you have no money and two little children. Or you are a 84-year-old widow with a big debt created by your spouse and his credit card company threatens to take payment directly from your meager bank account, leaving you with little to pay your bills.
In those situations the poor in Oklahoma have a place to turn -- their local Legal Aid office. There are 19 such offices scattered throughout Oklahoma so that Legal Aid's attorneys can serve eligible low-income families and the elderly in all 77 counties.
To qualify, a family must be within 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline. That's poor -- $25,813 a year for a family of four and $12,763 for a single person. Oklahoma has more than 600,000 residents who fall within those poverty guidelines and more than 24 percent of them are children.
Legal Aid's resources are stretched to the maximum. For every case they accept, they have to turn away a qualifying case due to a lack of resources, i.e. not enough staff attorneys. But, even at that, they've done a good job -- closing more than 19,000 cases affecting the lives of 19,151 children. And, the cost per case closed was a mere $386. Most Oklahoma law firms won't even open a case for that amount.
Think what they could do if they had more money! Hire more attorneys, for sure! Help more people, no doubt.
Recently, a group of Tulsa businesses and foundations joined us for lunch and raised more than $50,000 for Legal Aid's mission. We want to thank ONEOK, Williams, Bank of Oklahoma, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Tulsa National Bank and the Mervin Bovaird Foundation for their generous responses. We also want to thank Pre-Paid LegalServices in Ada for leading the way in our corporate effort and the George Kaiser Family Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Foundation for its dollar-for-dollar match on all new monies raised in the Tulsa area.
These businesses can be sure that Legal Aid will be an excellent steward of their gifts.
After years of drawing back due to lack of funding and the threat of extinction, Legal Aid is starting to expand. Our fundraising work along with the work of Bill Paul in 2003-05 and Judge Thomas Brett in 2006 is allowing Legal Aid to set its salaries so it can attract the best and the brightest from our law schools. It is allowing Legal Aid to open a part-time office in McAlester thanks to generous funding from the Puterbaugh Foundation.
It's allowed the Tulsa Legal Aid office to add another full-time attorney to work on legal issues of Tulsa's homeless population, thanks to the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, and the Oklahoma City office to add a full-time attorney to help clients throughout the state who are living with HIV/AIDS and need legal help, thanks to the Inasmuch Foundation in Oklahoma City.
Providing access to our justice system is an issue that touches every Oklahoman. And, it's a good investment.
Legal Aid provides critical and cost-effective services that prevent problems in the future including: securing a protective order that can save women and children from severe physical and emotional harm; gaining access to needed health care at a critical time that often prevents more serious and expensive problems later on; helping an individual make the welfare-to-work transition that helps guarantee a sound economic future, and preventing an improper eviction or foreclosure through early legal intervention that can avoid the much more expensive societal costs of homelessness later.
Good things are happening on the justice front in Oklahoma.
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Tulsa World - 07/16/2007
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New Executive Director Appointed!
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On June 18, 2003 the Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma board selected and appointed Gary Taylor as the new Executive Director. Gary is a ...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - Hotline - 06/24/2003
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LASO Executive Director, John Morris Williams, heads for OBF
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It is with great regret that LASO announces that our Executive Director, John Morris Williams, has resigned and will be taking on a new position as th...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - Hotline - 03/21/2003
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Hispanic Housing Fair to Take Place in Tulsa on April 12!
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The Tulsa Area Fair Housing Partnership is sponsoring a housing fair directed at the Hispanic population in honor of National Fair Housing month in Ap...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - Hotline - 03/21/2003
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ICAN! Kiosk to be delivered April 4th to Tulsa County Courthouse!
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A new service to our clients will soon be coming to the Tulsa County District Court. The ICAN! Kiosk that will be available for pro se clients t...
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Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. - Hotline - 03/21/2003
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Defining Diversity: With Liberty and Justice for All.....
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Please contact Peggy Big Eagle or Sandy Neal for information on our March 5 Diversity Symposium at the Oklahoma Bar Center.
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Administration Office - 02/02/2003
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To see Current Articles, Click Here
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