Legal Aid of Western Missouri

Our staff of 63 attorneys and 40 paralegals provided free legal services to low-income people in need throughout Western Missouri. The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic devastation made 2020-2022 the hardest years in recent memory for our clients. During the year, we advanced justice, promoted change, and improved the lives of our neighbors with urgent legal needs:-We fought for benefits to ensure that seniors, those with disabilities and folks who lost their jobs got the income they needed to survive.-We put domestic violence survivors on a path to safety and self-sufficiency.-We improved health care outcomes and saved lives by removing legal barriers to better health.-We fought to maintain housing so families could safely shelter-in-place in their communities.-We lifted the burden of debt for consumers defrauded by unscrupulous businesses.In a year full of rapidly changing policies and widespread fear, we've been able to help more than 13,000 children and adults in our community. We received donated services from attorneys in our service area totaling 6,465 hours valued at $1,251,213. These volunteer attorneys assisted our staff with cases as described above.In compliance with federal regulations, we lobby state and local governments, but only to seek funding for our work.