Outreach and Clinics – Legal Services Alabama

Mobile Veterans’ Clinic with LSC

Legal Services Alabama — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:31:33 +0000

Legal Services Alabama to Host Veterans Legal Clinic and Community Resource Event in Mobile with Legal Services Corporation

The free event at The National Maritime Museum on August 20 will connect veterans with civil legal assistance and community resources while highlighting LSC’s new Veterans Outreach Toolkit.

Legal Services Alabama (LSA), in partnership with the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), will host a free Veterans Legal Clinic and Community Resource Education Event on Thursday, August 20, at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile. The event will provide veterans with access to free civil legal assistance, information about available benefits and services, and connections to local community resources.

“With 300,000+ veterans in Alabama, it is imperative that LSA have resources available to provide civil legal assistance to this important segment of our population,” said LSA Executive Director, Guy Lescault. “Current House Congressional Appropriation recommendation to reduce LSC funding by 50% will adversely impact LSA’s ability to help our veterans who have earned the right to free civil legal assistance.”

The event marks the release of LSC’s new Veterans Services Toolkit, a national resource designed to help legal aid organizations, volunteer attorneys and community partners expand veterans’ access to civil legal assistance through effective legal clinics and coordinated community partnerships.

“Veterans should never have to face potentially life-changing legal challenges alone,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “LSC is committed to partnering with our grantees and other service providers to make sure those who served our country have access to the assistance and resources they need when it matters most.”

Civil legal issues remain among the greatest barriers to stability for many veterans. According to the latest CHALENG survey conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, seven of the 10 most commonly identified unmet needs among homeless and at-risk veterans involve legal issues.

The new Veterans Outreach Toolkit provides practical guidance for planning and operating successful veterans’ legal clinics, including step-by-step instructions, templates and resources.

At the August 20 event, veterans will have the opportunity to:

Meet one-on-one with LSA attorneys and legal staff
Learn about their civil legal rights and available legal solutions
Connect with local veterans’ service organizations and resource providers

The clinic reflects LSA’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to justice for Alabama veterans and strengthening partnerships that improve access to essential legal services across the state.

About the Event

Veterans Legal Clinic and Community Resource Event

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026

Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: National Maritime Museum of the Gulf | 155 Water St, Mobile, AL 36602

Veterans seeking civil legal assistance are encouraged to attend. Along with LSA and LSC, additional veteran-specific community organizations and other service providers in attendance include:

Center for Fair Housing
Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council
Hope For All Gulf Coast
Volunteers of American Southeast

John Lewis Fellows: Fair Housing Resources

Legal Services Alabama — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 20:58:53 +0000

Each year, the LSA John Lewis Legal Fellows are given a civil legal focus to develop on-going project work around.

The current class of ’26 have invested their skills and talents in increasing access to justice through fair housing service and education.

As part of their project work, the Fellows developed a series of fair housing resources designed to expand access to information and empower communities to understand their housing rights.

To ensure these resources reach the people who need them most, the Fellows are organizing a series of community outreach events.

These events will provide opportunities to share the materials directly with residents, answer questions, and connect individuals with legal aid support.

Click each Fair Housing title to read and download the resource document:

Developed by: Andre Cooley

Developed by: Tamonica Jones

Developed by: Christopher Weems

Developed by: Marina Johnston

Developed by: Asia Michael

Collaborative Estate Planning & Heirs’ Property Outreach: Huntsville

Legal Services Alabama — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:05:15 +0000

A first of its kind Estate Planning and Heirs’ Property Outreach is planned for November 11 from 9 AM – 3 PM on the AA&M University campus. The event is organized through a collaboration with AA&M-ACES, Will Breland and Adele Underwood, Director and former Director of the Faulkner University Thomas Goode Law School, Generational and Ancestral Property (GAP) Clinic, Greg Varner Law Firm, and Legal Services Alabama.

The event will consist of an Heirs’ Property Overview presented by Jacy Fisher, Senior Associate Attorney with Greg Varner’s Law office. The mainstay of the event will be three separate clinics: estate planning; heirs’ property resolution; and genealogy and real property searches.

The estate planning clinic will consist of attorneys assisting attendees, Witnesses and a Notary Public. Through additional resources provided by AlaBar-VLP, attendees will leave with a complete estate plan consisting of three basic estate planning documents: Last Will & Testament, General Power of Attorney, and Advance Directive aka Living Will.

The heirs’ property clinic will consist of attorneys providing legal advice about attendees’ heirs’ property issues and providing next steps to resolution.

Qualified attendees are eligible to become LSA clients.

The genealogy and real property clinic will consist of students from AA&MU and Faulkner University Thomas Goode Law School, and the Generational and Ancestral Properties (GAP) Clinic assisting attendees to create family trees, research deeds/property, and provide information on real property.

This is a great networking opportunity as lawyers from both private and public firms are expected to volunteer.

Lunch will be served for volunteers. Light refreshments for attendees. Rest breaks are built into the schedule.

Mobile: Legal Compass Online Self-Help Testing Session

Legal Services Alabama — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:08:50 +0000

The class will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the LSA Mobile Office.

Attendees are encouraged to stop by according to their availability and do not need to plan on staying for the full two-hour window.

LSA officially launches its innovative online tool this month. It’s intended to assist individuals across Alabama by providing easy access to legal resources and guidance, even if they don’t qualify for free legal aid. The self-help tool allows users to describe their civil legal issue using their own words and Legal Compass will provide relevant legal action plans based on their legal issue, including recommendations and links to relevant forms and legal information.

As part of the launch, in-person community-wide classes are being hosted across the state to ensure Legal Compass meets community needs. At the classes, participants will learn how to access, navigate and use the platform in real-time to provide valuable feedback about the user experience.

The classes are not intended to offer civil legal advice, but to test this exciting new resource for authentic responses to how easy Legal Compass is to find, navigate, understand and more. Staff will be on-site to guide participants throughout the class.

“Our LSA attorneys have developed 16 legal action plans that cover the legal areas with the greatest demand for client services,” said Guy Lescault, LSA executive director. “With the Legal Compass AL site launch this month, we hope that the site will help narrow the justice gap and increase access to justice for more Alabamians.”

The launch and classes are part of LSA’s mission to expand access to justice for all, especially underserved and self-represented individuals. The upcoming class in Mobile is the last of the classes. Previous classes were held in Birmingham, Anniston, Madison and Jasper.

The online tool will be available anytime and accessible on smart devices at legalcompassal.org.

“Legal Compass AL is an incredible resource for those who may not know where to turn for legal help,” said Lescault. “We encourage anyone in need of assistance or interested in learning more about their legal rights to attend this free class.”

Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to arrive at the Levon C. Manzie Neighborhood Resource Center, located at 110 N Lafayette St, Mobile, AL 36604, before the 10:30 a.m. class time.

In addition to learning about Legal Compass AL, each participant will receive a token of our appreciation. At the end of the training class and upon completion of a short user survey, participants will receive a Walmart gift card.

Jasper: Legal Compass Online Self-Help Testing Session

Legal Services Alabama — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 18:19:28 +0000

Legal Services Alabama (LSA) is pleased to announce an upcoming class designed to introduce participants to Legal Compass AL, a free online tool empowering individuals who may not have access to traditional legal services.

The class will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Jasper Area Family Services Center.

LSA officially launches its innovative online tool this month. It’s intended to assist individuals across Alabama by providing easy access to legal resources and guidance, even if they don’t qualify for free legal aid. The self-help tool guides users through a series of questions about their situation to provide a civil legal action plan based on their answers, including recommendations and links to relevant forms and legal information.

The launch and classes are part of LSA’s mission to expand access to justice for all, especially underserved and self-represented individuals. Along with the upcoming class in Jasper, an additional class will be held in Mobile.

The online tool will be available anytime and accessible on smart devices at legalcompassal.org.

“Legal Compass AL is an incredible resource for those who may not know where to turn for legal help,” said Lescault. “We encourage anyone in need of assistance or interested in learning more about their legal rights to attend this free class.”

Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to arrive at the service center, located at 1400 19th St. West in Jasper, before the 10:30 a.m. class time.

In addition to learning about Legal Compass AL, each participant will receive a token of our appreciation. At the end of the training class and upon completion of the survey, participants will receive a Wal-Mart gift card.

Madison: Legal Compass Online Self-Help Testing Session

Legal Services Alabama — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:30:41 +0000

The class will be held on Tuesday, Sept.16, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Madison Public Library.

The self-help tool allows users to describe their legal issues using their own words and Legal Compass AL provides a civil legal action plan based on their question, including recommendations and links to relevant forms and legal information.

As part of the launch, in-person community-wide classes are being hosted across the state to ensure Legal Compass meets community needs.

At the classes, participants will learn how to access, navigate and use the platform in real-time to provide valuable feedback about the user experience. The classes are not intended to offer civil legal advice, but to test this exciting new resource for authentic responses about how easy Legal Compass is to find, navigate, understand and more. Staff will be on-site to guide participants throughout the class

“Our LSA attorneys have developed 16 legal action plans that cover the legal areas with the greatest demand for clientservices,”said Guy Lescault, LSA executive director. “With the Legal Compass AL site launch this month,we hope that the site will help narrow the justice gap and increase access to justice for more Alabamians.”

The launch and classes are part of LSA’s mission to expand access to justice for all, especially underserved and self-represented individuals.

Along with the upcoming class in Madison, additional classes will be held in Jasper and Mobile.

The online tool will be available any time and accessible on smart devices at legalcompassal.org.

“Legal Compass AL is an incredible resource for those who may not know where to turn for legal help,” said Lescault. “We encourage anyone in need of assistance or interested in learning more about their legal rights to attend this free class.”

Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to arrive at the meeting center, located at 142 Plaza Blvd. in Madison, before the 10:30 a.m. class time.

Anniston: Legal Compass Online Self-Help Testing Session

Legal Services Alabama — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:50:14 +0000

Legal Services Alabama (LSA) is pleased to announce an upcoming class designed to introduce participants to Legal Compass AL, a free online tool empowering individuals who may not have access to traditional legal services. The class will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Anniston City Meeting Center.

LSA officially launches its innovative online tool in September. It’s intended to assist individuals across Alabama by providing easy access to legal resources and guidance, even if they don’t qualify for free legal aid. The self-help tool allows users to describe their legal issue using their own words. The site then provides a civil legal action plan based on their question, including recommendations and links to relevant forms and legal information.

“Our LSA attorneys have developed 16 legal action plans that cover the legal areas with the greatest demand for client services,” said Guy Lescault, LSA executive director. “With the Legal Compass AL site launch next month, we hope that the site will help narrow the justice gap and increase access to justice for more Alabamians.”

The launch and classes are part of LSA’s mission to expand access to justice for all, especially underserved and self-represented individuals. Along with the upcoming class in Anniston, additional classes will be held in Madison, Jasper and Mobile.

The online tool will be available anytime and accessible on smart devices at legalcompassal.org.

“Legal Compass AL is an incredible resource for those who may not know where to turn for legal help,” said Lescault. “We encourage anyone in need of assistance or interested in learning more about their legal rights to attend this free class.”

Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to arrive at the meeting center, located at 1615 Noble St. in Anniston, before the 10:30 a.m. class time. In addition to learning about Legal Compass AL, each participant will receive a token of our appreciation. At the end of the training class and upon completion of the survey, participants will receive a Wal-Mart gift card.

LSA IMPACT: VETERAN SUCCESS STORY

Legal Services Alabama — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 19:38:23 +0000

The shadows of an uncertain future loomed large over the client as he walked through the doors of Legal Services Alabama. An ejectment lawsuit, a chilling prospect, threatened to strip him of his home and stability. The estate of the property owner demanded mesne profits, claiming waste and seeking possession – a legal labyrinth designed to dispossess, not to resolve. But the client carried a quiet truth: he had been the one faithfully making the mortgage payments, investing in a dream that was now under siege. His counterclaim of unjust enrichment became his beacon of hope, seeking justice for the sacrifices he had made.

At Legal Services Alabama, this Army veteran’s plight was met with the dedicated advocacy of Attorney Glen Smith. Smith, recognizing the client’s honorable service, understood that the best outcome involved securing permanent ownership of the property. He didn’t just see a legal defense; he envisioned a future where his client was a homeowner. Drawing upon his network and expertise, Attorney Smith became a vital link, connecting the client with a mortgage broker specializing in VA home loans.

This introduction was a turning point. The client had previously been denied financing by two lenders, leaving him adrift in the storm of legal proceedings. But with Attorney Smith’s unwavering support and the expert guidance of the mortgage broker, he was ultimately approved for the VA home loan. This path to ownership offered potential benefits like no down payment and low interest rates, offering a ray of hope amidst the legal battle.

Through diligent advocacy, Attorney Smith navigated the legal complexities of the ejectment case and championed the client’s counterclaim. The legal aid provided by Legal Services Alabama, coupled with Attorney Smith’s strategic efforts, turned a seemingly insurmountable challenge into a path towards homeownership.

Ten months after the initial lawsuit had cast a shadow of uncertainty, a remarkable transformation occurred. The client, who had once been defending against ejectment, stood poised to become the owner of the very property he had fought so hard to keep. He wasn’t defending an ejectment; he was closing on the purchase of the home, realizing the dream of becoming a first-time homeowner. The walls that once felt like a battleground now promised a sanctuary of peace.

He was no longer a defendant; he was a homeowner, a testament to the power of legal aid and the enduring spirit of resilience, championed by Attorney Glen Smith and Legal Services Alabama.

Thanks to Bob Woodruff Foundation for grant funding that supports the receipt of our life-changing legal aid services to veterans across Alabama. Their generosity and good will are appreciated by all of our veteran clients.

In the News: Montgomery Poverty Simulation

Legal Services Alabama — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:28:25 +0000

Yesterday LSA held our first community Poverty Simulation training of 2025!

Thanks to the generosity of the Black Belt Community Foundation, LSA has a licensed copy of the Community Action Poverty Simulation.

The Poverty Simulation is an interactive exercise geared toward better understanding the problems of poverty and the complex issues with which our clients wrestle daily.

The simulation is a role-playing exercise where attendees are tasked with surviving a month with the identity and resources of low-income individuals and families.

The simulation portion of the training lasts an hour where every 15 minutes represents a week in the lives of assigned characters. Participants must navigate obstacles like managing transportation and childcare while getting to work on time; affording utilities, groceries, and medicine on a fixed, limited income; and, avoiding eviction at all costs.

Participants engage with various community institutions, organizations and entities to make ends meet, while avoiding the pitfalls associated with poverty.

WSFA joined us for a story – check out the video below to learn more about the event!

Tax Season at LSA

Legal Services Alabama — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:17:33 +0000

January and February are a key time where Legal Services Alabama (LSA) attorneys offer targeted resources for low-income people managing their taxes.

LSA Low-Income Tax Clinic attorneys are able to help clients understand their tax filings and represent them in cases against the IRS or in court on audits, appeals, tax collection matters and other tax disputes.

LITCs can also help taxpayers respond to IRS notices and correct account problems. In addition, LITCs can provide information about taxpayer rights and responsibilities in different languages for individuals who speak English as a second language.

Clinics participating in the LITC Program ensure the fairness and integrity of the tax system for taxpayers who are low-income or speak English as a second language by:

Providing pro bono representation on their behalf in tax disputes with the IRS;
Educating them about their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers; and
Identifying and advocating for issues that impact these taxpayers.

People experiencing IRS controversies can complete an intake to see if they are eligible for free LSA legal aid online at www.legalservicesalabama.org/apply-for-services or with the LSA Call Center at: 866-456-4995, English or 888-835-3505, Spanish.

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