OCBF grant to support legal help desk

The Oakland County Bar Foundation has granted Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. (LAD) $15,000 for one year to continue with the Free Legal Information Help Desk in the Adams-Pratt Oakland County Law Library.

At the request of the Oakland County Circuit Court and Judge Fred Mester, and in collaboration with the Oakland County Bar Association, LAD began operating the Free Legal Information Help Desk in 2009.

The grant will allow LAD to continue providing monthly outreaches at the Free Legal Information Help Desk. LAD will operate the Help Desk two times per month, providing both an Arabic and Chaldean speaking attorney and a Spanish speaking attorney. All visitors will receive legal information and for those that are income eligible, a file will be opened to provide legal advice and further legal assistance and representation.

“Per the Legal Services Corporation, 86 percent of civil legal problems reported by low income individuals receive inadequate or no legal help,” said Laura Mancini, Director, Adams-Pratt Oakland County Law Library. “By having LAD attorneys available at the library, low income residents have the opportunity to get legal assistance and better access to the court system. We are thrilled to have them here, in particular, because of their outreach efforts to the Chaldean, Arabic and Hispanic communities, which are underserved groups in Oakland County.”

“The Oakland County Bar Foundation greatly appreciates the service Legal Aid and Defender affords to individuals in need of legal assistance in Oakland County. The support (LAD) provides is vital and irreplaceable,” said Oakland County Bar Foundation’s President Kaveh Kashef in the award letter.

LAD provides legal service to low income residents in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. LAD staff has expertise in poverty law issues and represents clients in all kinds of civil legal matters including social security and public benefits, landlord-tenant issues, mortgage and tax foreclosure defense, consumer issues and utility shutoffs.

Anyone seeking legal services can call (877)964-4700 or visit ladadetroit.org.

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