Daily American News
Butler Co. attorneys give time to provide equality in
justice
By Jackie Harder ~ Staff Writer
July 11, 2002
There are more than 30 attorneys in Butler County that volunteer
for an organization offering free legal services for low income or
elderly households. Legal Services of Southern Missouri (LSSM)
serves 43 counties in this area and is dedicated to ensuring all
people, regardless of their income, equal access to legal advice
and counsel. Out of the 43 counties in the LSSM service region,
Butler County has the fifth highest number of cases served in 2001
and the third largest number of attorney panel members.
"The Butler County attorneys have really stepped up to the plate
to help us represent the poor population in this county," said LSSM
Director of Development Sharon Alexander. "We had approximately 400
cases in Butler County last year."
LSSM is funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC)- a
private, not-for-profit organization. Created by Congress, LSSM
also receives funding from the Missouri Lawyer Trust Account
Foundation and local area agencies on aging. But LSSM credits the
attorneys that volunteer their time and skills to representing the
underprivileged and elderly for the success of the organization.
Currently, LSSM utilizes the services of 243 private attorneys who
provide a minimum of 20 hours of pro bono or two pro bono cases per
year.
"Fundamentally, what we're trying to do is provide equal access
to justice, for all people - regardless of their economic
standing," said LSSM Board Member and volunteer attorney, Fred
Hall. "If a husband knocks his wife down, breaks her jaw or arm -
abuses her terribly - he will be picked up and put in jail. But
he's entitled to have a public defender ... Don't you think she's
entitled to have a lawyer to get a temporary restraining order from
this guy?"
LSSM operates like a law firm, but does not charge fees to their
clients. Due to federal guidelines, LSSM does not accept cases
concerning criminal, post-criminal, or municipal court matters.
Rather, the attorneys provide pro bono counsel in matters such as
protecting victims of spouse or child abuse, protecting individuals
and families from loss of housing through illegal eviction or
assisting the elderly in disputing Medicaid claim denials.
"One example of a case we recently handled was over in
Springfield," Alexander said. "There was an elderly woman who had
some plumbing work done to her home and the work was not up to
standards and the cost was above what it should have been ... we
were able to help her through our pro bono program. One local
Springfield attorney volunteered to handle the case."
According to Alexander, the LSSM attorney won the case and the
woman did not have to pay for the shoddy plumbing, nor did she have
to pay any attorney fees. About two weeks later, the local
newspaper reported that the sheriff's department was investigating
the plumbing company for defrauding the elderly.
To qualify for legal assistance, one's income must be at or
below 125 percent of the poverty level, as determined by the
federal government. According to statistics provided by LSSM, 15.8
percent of the population in LSSM's service area are classified as
poor and 20 percent are classified as elderly. Due to their limited
staff and budget, LSSM can only serve a fraction of those who need
legal representation. In 2001, almost half of LSSM case
applications were denied.
