
2021-2022 JFM members after swearing in at the Montana Supreme Court
Members of the AmeriCorps State Justice for Montanans Project serve with MLSA and other organizations to provide direct services to people seeking assistance with civil legal issues. Review our Positions page for details on our available positions!
Justice for Montanans (JFM) members empower low- to moderate-income Montanans to advocate for their legal rights and increase access to justice. Montana Legal Services Association partners with the Self-Help Program of the Montana Supreme Court Office of the Court Administrator, DCI’s Office of Child and Family Ombudsman, Legal Services Developer Aging Services, Montana Fair Housing, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Defenders Office, and the YWCA in Missoula. The JFM AmeriCorps Project places 20 members directly in local Montana communities to help provide and expand intake and outreach, legal information, and referral services for Montana's low to moderate income residents seeking civil legal assistance.
For more information
Project Partners
MLSA is a federally and privately funded nonprofit organization that provides legal services to low-income people throughout Montana. For more information about MLSA, visit www.mtlsa.org.
The Montana Supreme Court Office of the Court Administrator assists self-represented litigants and other people in finding legal information, forms and other resources. For more information about the Self-Help Law Centers, visit https://courts.mt.gov/selfhelp.
The mission of OCFO is to work to prevent child abuse and neglect and increase safety, well-being and permanency for Montana's children through fair and just advocacy, education, outreach and investigation. For more information about the Children’s Justice Bureau and OCFO, visit https://dojmt.gov/enforcement/childrensjustice/
The Legal Services Developer Program (LSDP) offers a free legal advice hotline for Montana seniors over 60 and anyone with a disability regardless of age. Legal professionals provide expert advice on civil legal issues. Attorney referrals and resources are provided to callers who have legal issues that fall outside of the scope of the program. Older adults, those with a disability, and enrolled tribal members can also call the LSDP to request free assistance with drafting vital estate planning documents such as wills, powers of attorney, living wills, transfer on death deeds, and declarations of homestead. The Legal Services Developer Program provides elder law training and resources for seniors, family members, and social outreach workers. LSDP operates under the Aging Services Bureau within the Department of Public Health and Human Services at the state. For more information about the program, visit https://dphhs.mt.gov/sltc/aging/legalservicesdeveloper
Montana Innocence Proejct- Because liberty and justice are paramount to democratic society, it is the mission of the Montana Innocence Project to free the innocent and unjustly incarcerated, and advocate for systems of Justice that are accurate, accountable, and fair for all. MTIP was founded in 2008 and is based in the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana. MTIP achieves its mission through a combination of advocacy, pro bono legal representation, and education. To learn more, visit mtinnocenceproject.org.
The mission of the Tribal Defenders Office is to provide a requisite balance of quality legal representation to Indian criminal defendants in the prosecution of criminal cases within the courts of the Tribal system and State system. Our office provides legal representation to Indian criminal defendants who are enrolled members of ANY federally recognized tribe in the Tribal Court; juveniles who are either enrolled or enrollable members of any federally recognized tribe or who are first generation descendants of such tribes in a Montana State Court. The Tribal Defenders also provide, on a case-by-case basis, legal representation to CS&KT members in a civil disputes and provide a balanced resolution forms to qualified individuals (eligible pursuant to existing guidelines) who want to initiate uncontested actions on their own in Tribal Court.
YWCA Missoula opens doors to opportunity and self-sufficiency for women and families facing poverty, violence and discrimination. With over 110 years of experience, the YWCA is the leading organization in Missoula for moving women and families out of crisis and empowering them to achieve lasting independence. YWCA Missoula is a mighty force of roughly 50 paid staff and more than 200 volunteers—including members of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA and the community, as well as practicum and intern students. We depend on the individuals in this force to carry out the YWCA mission. In return, we strive to build leadership from within and promote leadership skills on all levels of the organization. Find more information at https://www.ywcamissoula.org/
Current AmeriCorps State Justice for Montanans Members
Helena
- Annalisa, Legal Services Developer Program
- Jacob, Montana Legal Services Association
- Jason, Montana Legal Services Association
- Saumya, Montana Legal Services Association
- Charlotte, Montana Legal Services Association
- Vacant, Montana Legal Services Association
- Jacklyn, Self-Help Law Center
- Shannon, Office of the Child and Family Ombudsman
- Sarah, Team Leader, Montana Legal Services Association
Billings
- Amanda, Self-Help Law Center
- Vacant, Self-Help Law Center
- Emily, Montana Legal Services Association
- Alex, Montana Legal Services association
Pablo
- Vacant, Tribal Defenders Office
Bozeman
- Hannah, Self-Help Law Center
- Lena, Self-Help Law Center
Great Falls
- Kat, Self-Help Law Center
Missoula
- Alli, Montana Legal Services Association
- Upcoming position, Montana Innocence Project
- Hallie, Self-Help Law Center
- Frances, YWCA