A year ago, the Office of Community Services under the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, awarded the first ever cohort of grant recipients, including MLSA, to receive funding from the Medical Legal Partnerships Plus (MLP+) program. Grounded in addressing the social determinants of health, medical-legal partnerships are multi-disciplinary care teams that incorporate legal experts …
Western News: MLSA gets grant to help low-income residents
The Legal Services Corporation announced recently that MLSA will be rewarded a Technology Initiative grant in the amount of $275,706 to overhaul and redesign our most-used automated legal forms. Click here to learn more! Many thanks to LSC for continuing to support the work we do.
Congratulations, Alison Paul: 2024 Pierce-Hickerson Award Recipient
A special congratulations to our Executive Director, Alison Paul, for being awarded the 2024 Pierce-Hickerson Award at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s Annual Conference in Atlanta last week. Created over two decades ago to celebrate civil legal aid advocates Julian Pierce and Robert Hickerson, the Pierce-Hickerson award honors outstanding contributions to the advancement …
Berkeley Law: BLAST Students to work with MLSA
Montana Legal Services Association is looking forward to working with Berkeley law students who will participate in the BLAST (Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips) Montana program next year! During spring break 2025, students will have the chance to work on criminal record expungements for low-income Montanans, including those affected by domestic violence. Click here to …
Lake County Leader: Montanans can apply now for property tax rebate
Special thanks to Lake County Reader for spreading the word on the Montana Property Tax Rebate. Click here to learn more.
Q2 Billings: The rising cost of rent is crushing families, a Billings mom vows to fight back
In an article speaking to Q2 Billings, Housing attorney Amy Hall speaks to the rise of calls to MLSA from Montanans requesting help with an eviction, and the potential pressures felt by both renters and property owners throughout the state due to lack of housing and rising property taxes. Click here to read more!
Helena Independent Record: In major homelessness case, US Supreme Court upholds ban on sleeping outside
In an article concerning the recent ruling of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which argues that municipalities can enforce bans on sleeping outside, MLSA Housing Attorney Amy Hall speaks to the potential ramifications of the decision in Montana.
Partner Spotlight: Misdemeanor Expungement Support for Survivors
Learn about a project dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence clear misdemeanor convictions from their records. Outside the world of advocacy and shelter programs like The Friendship Center, our advocates have probably all had the experience of being thanked when they describe the work they do. In those same conversations, they’ve likely also gone …
Helena Independent Record: Montana cities watch U.S. Supreme Court case on homelessness encampments
As the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case out of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which held that it is unconstitutional to penalize people with civil citations for sleeping outside when there are an inadequate number of shelter beds available, the Independent Record recently reported on the ways in which this SCOTUS decision …
Montana Lawyer Magazine: MLSA, group of lawyers team up for revival of in-person Helena Family Law Clinic
Check out this awesome article written in the Montana Lawyer Magazine by our Pro-Bono Coordinator, Ellie Webster, detailing the revival of the in-person Helena Family Law Clinic in September 2023. The return of the in-person clinic is a joint project between MLSA, Erin Lyndes from Jackson Murdo & Grant and Trish Klanke from Drake Law …