June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the contributions and acknowledge the resiliency of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are committed to advancing LGBTQIA+ rights through our work and proudly serve the legal needs of our LGBTQIA+ community members in various ways.

Affirming name and gender identity on proofs of identity or IDs helps to eliminate barriers to financial security, family safety, and housing stability for LGBTQIA+ individuals. However, legally changing one's name can be a complex process. In partnership with the Jim Toy Community Center and the University of Michigan Law School Outlaw students, LSSCM hosts a pro bono clinic that provides name and gender marker changes on driver's licenses; divorce, adoption, child custody, and birth certificate amendments; and other documents for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

This program, known as OUTreach, pairs student volunteers with assistance and supervision from LSSCM to increase the ease and accessibility of legal name changes. Last term, pro bono attorneys and volunteers contributed over 350 hours to OUTreach. Over 100 people attended the project’s annual name change clinic, with pro bono attorneys working with OUTReach and LSSCM continuing to file name change cases. 

Attorneys at our division programs also directly represent LGBTQIA+ individuals in name change cases to promote safety and stability. For example, MIRC represented a stateless client who sought immigration relief, but her birth was not registered or recognized by her country of origin. Our attorney successfully represented her in an identity and name change case so she could establish a form of identity reflecting her gender identity and apply for immigration relief. MIRC also secures immigration status for many LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Beyond direct representation, Michigan Legal Help offers DIY tools for self-represented litigants to file for name changes or gender marker changes on IDs, birth certificates, or passports. This tool allows even more individuals across the state to access name changes. Additionally, Angela Tripp and Kim Cramer of MLH testified this month at the Michigan Supreme Court hearing on a proposed rule change for respectful means of address, requiring judges to refer to lawyers, plaintiffs, and defendants by their preferred pronouns. Self-represented litigants experience a power imbalance without a lawyer to communicate on their behalf, as Angela Tripp, MLH Director, expressed: 

“Many people who stand before a judge, particularly the clients that we represent and see

representing themselves...come from already marginalized communities; when court staff uses the wrong pronouns, it further marginalizes them and sends the message that they don’t belong.”

The proposed change would help alleviate this imbalance to provide greater inclusion for marginalized individuals in the courts and promote equal access to justice for all.

• Learn more about the OUTreach program here.
• For MLH’s resources on name changes, click here.
• To support our work serving LGBTQIA+ individuals in honor of pride month, please visit our website.

MAP Updates

MPLP hosts 2023 Joint Task Force Meetings

Attorneys from legal service programs throughout the state gathered at Higgins Lake to attend Michigan Poverty Law Program's joint task force meeting covering consumer, elder, family, housing, and public benefits law.

CVLAP presents at the MCEDSV Annual Conference

CVLAP Managing Attorney Emily Miller and Melanie Hooker, Executive Director for the Domestic Violence Coalition, Inc, presented at the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence annual conference. 

MEJI and LSSCM present at the Futures Without Violence Conference

Toi Dennis, LSSCM/CVLAP Staff Attorney, and Alison Hirschel, MEJI Managing Attorney, presented legal and non-legal strategies to address elder abuse at the Futures Without Violence conference in Washington, DC earlier this month.

FLS and MIRC present at the CORT Farmworker and Immigrant Worker Law Conference

MIRC’s farmworker and immigrant worker rights team and FLS gathered in Kalamazoo for the Committee on Regional Training (CORT) Farmworker and Immigrant Worker Law Conference, delivering several presentations on outreach tips and issues affecting migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

MAP's expungement team offers eligibility screenings at local fairs

MAP’s expungement team provided expungement eligibility screening at the June Southeast Michigan Pull Over Prevention mutual aid fair.

Law clerks with the expungement team attended the Home of New Vision’s Women’s Wellness Brunch this month, providing expungement screening and family law information for women who are in addiction recovery.

Interested in Legal Aid Work?

Here are some ways you can make a difference!

Join Our Team

We are seeking new team members who share our passion for providing access to justice to those who need it most. Visit our employment page for full postings.



Volunteer

MAP welcomes volunteer attorneys in each of our counties and programs. To volunteer, please complete our Pro Bono Attorney Registration Form.



Give

Through your contributions, we can provide safety and security to thousands of Michigan families. Visit the link below to make a non-attorney donation, or click here to make an attorney donation.

Michigan Pro Bono Portal - Now live!

The new Michigan Pro Bono Portal connects pro bono attorneys and volunteers with cases and volunteer opportunities throughout the state.

All Michigan pro bono volunteers are encouraged to register!

Washtenaw County Expungement Clinic

Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Michigan Advocacy Program, and Men Like Us are proudly partnering to offer assistance with expungements to people in our service area.

Register here

Family Law Assistance Project (FLAP) Clinic

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Who should attend?

Individuals with low income, who are U.S. Citizens or eligible undocumented immigrants; who need legal services in Oakland Country or live in Oakland County; whose circumstances are related to a domestic Personal Protection Order (PPO), or family law issues such as divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, minor guardianship; etc.; and who are not represented by an attorney. 

More information

Free Bankruptcy Clinic

Friday, June 30, 2023 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Are you experiencing financial hardship? Bankruptcy may be able to help. Meet with an experienced attorney to discuss your financial circumstances and start the process for filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

Pre-registration is required by: 6/21/2023 

Register here:

Phone: 1-800-322-4512 Ext. 6

Email: clinics1@lsem-mi.org

Guardian and Conservator Training

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 - 9:30 am to 5:00 pm

Guardians and conservators looking for training material to assist them in their fiduciary duties are encouraged to attend. Participants can join us by Zoom at 835-5174-3934

Please pre-register by emailing probate@montcounty.org.

More information

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MAP includes Legal Services of South Central Michigan with five offices in south and central Michigan serving 13 counties and Farmworker Legal Services serving agricultural workers statewide. MAP also provides administrative services to five statewide specialty programs, known collectively as MSAS. These include the Michigan Poverty Law Program, Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, Crime Victims Legal Assistance Program, Michigan Legal Help Program, and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. The Legal Services Corporation only supports the activities of the MAP programs, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, and Farmworker Legal Services.