Why Justice for All
The case supporting Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
May 2017
Oklahoma City Administrative Offices
2915 North Classen Blvd. Suite 500
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
405.557.0020
2
Moving People ‘Up the Ladder’
The need for civil legal services is greater today than ever before. The
growing
population of people living at the poverty line in Oklahoma, people who are trying to
move up the ladder when life happens -- a child gets sick, a boss won’t pay them, their
apartment floods, their spouse turns violent –
and they have no place to turn with a
civil legal problem. These people
must have an attorney’s help in order to address their
legal problem and move forward. The community benefits by helping these low-income
Oklahomans get back to work and taking care of their families. This is the work of Legal
Aid Services of Oklahoma and we invite you to help. Please call me at 405.488.6768 if
you’d like to discuss your ideas.
MICHAELG.FIGGINS
ExecutiveDirector
LegalAidServicesofOklahoma
3
Who We Are.
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO) is Oklahoma’s largest not-for-profit law
firm and the only source of legal expertise for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans
facing critical civil legal problems but living in poverty, with no way of paying for an
attorney. Established in 2002 in a merger of two regional programs in the state, LASO
is a 501 (c) (3) organization, incorporated in the State of Oklahoma, to provide
professional civil legal aid, keeping families together and individuals safe and stable
with food, shelter, healthcare and income for which they are eligible.
LASO works to ensure that state and federal laws affecting poor people and the elderly
are upheld while also addressing the systemic barriers to justice faced by Oklahomans
with low incomes. To achieve this end, LASO provides free civil legal assistance when it
can make a difference in meeting basic human needs or enforcing individual rights.
LASO works closely with the Oklahoma Bar Association and county bar associations,
civic and community organizations statewide to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s
poverty population and to move our state closer to the goal of justice for all.
History o
f
Civil Legal Aid in Oklahoma
1940’s
Progressive county bar organizations provided legal aid to veterans & their
families.
1950’s
The Oklahoma Bar Association and local United Ways created funding for free
civil legal aid.
1964
Legal Aid became part o
f
the U.S. War on Poverty and received funding
through the Office of Economic Opportunity.
1973
President Nixon created the Legal Services Corporation as an independent,
not-for-profit corporation, administering funds from Congress to all of the
states
,
based on
p
overt
y
p
o
p
ulation.
1977
Legal Aid o
f
Western Oklahoma and Legal Services o
f
Eastern Oklahoma, in
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, respectively, were created to provide legal aid.
2002
Legal Aid Services o
f
Oklahoma created as a statewide organization to serve
low-income and elderly persons in all 77 counties.
4
How we serve.
LASO’s total staff of 186 currently includes 107 attorneys, 32 paralegals, and 47
management, development and support staff providing administrative support.
Through a network of law offices, strategically placed throughout the state, LASO
provides services for low-income persons in all 77 Oklahoma counties. These fully-
staffed offices are in Ada, Altus, Ardmore, Bartlesville, Guymon, Hugo, Lawton,
McAlester, Muskogee, Norman, Oklahoma City, Poteau, Shawnee, Stillwater,
Tahlequah, Tulsa, Weatherford and Woodward.
LASO works closely with hundreds of Oklahoma attorneys who volunteer their time
handling cases and representing clients, teaching legal seminars and otherwise using
their talents to assist low-income clients without charge. These pro bono attorneys are
an essential component to LASO’s staff.
5
Those we help.
A total of 10,133 cases closed were closed in 2016, cases directly affecting 22,724 men,
women and children. These low-income Oklahomans had no other option for help with
the legal problem that threatened their safety, health or well-being. LASO’s top
priority
is given to cases involving domestic violence, so that individuals and families
can live
in peace, without threat of harm. Other priorities are preserving healthy
families;
ensuring safe housing; helping eligible clients obtain and maintain
government
benefits; and assisting those who are exploited financially or through
unfair
employment and wage claims.
In 2016, 829,320 Oklahomans were living within 125 percent of poverty and thus
eligible for LASO’s assistance with their critical civil legal problems. Due to limited
resources, LASO is able to provide legal assistance to one of every five persons who
requests help.
Misc
14%
IndividualRights
2%
Income
Maintenance
10%
Housing
18%
Health
.7%
Consumer
13%
Education
.2%
Employment
1%
Family
41%
2016ClosedCases
6
Actual 2016 cases.
When Mr. Gentry contacted LASO he
had
just received a 48-hour order to
vacate the
Section 8 apartment he shared
with the four
grandkids he was raising.
LASO’s attorney
realized the landlord
wrongfully moved to
evict the Gentry
family after the housing authority
erroneously
abated payments when the
apartment failed inspection. But, HUD
Maria could live with her abusive
husband no longer and, when he was
charged with
strangulation, she decided
to file for divorce. She did not know where
to turn for help but took a chance with legal
aid. LASO accepted the case and Maria
was
granted a divorce and custody of their
child. T he court ordered the father to pay
child support and allowed visitation only
as the
minor’s counselor deemed
appropriate. Of the 10,133 cases
closed in
2016, 1,191— or more than 16 percent—
involved domestic
violence.
prohibits holding tenants responsible for that part of the rent. Th e landlord
obtained a
default judgment because he never obtained service. Mr. Gentry
didn’t know he had
been evicted until receiving the sheriff’s 48-hour order to
vacate. Legal aid filed
an emergency motion citing lack of service and lack of
grounds for the eviction, recalling
the writ, vacating the judgment, and preserving
housing for the family just days before Christmas. Preservation of
clients’
housing is a LASO priority and involved more than 17 percent of casework in 2016.
7
Mrs. Graham was hospitalized for a few days and,
when she returned, she found a
notice to move. The
landlord felt
Mrs. Graham would be unable to
care for
herself when and if she returned to her
apartment.
However, Mrs. Graham’s apartment
was only a block from a family
member and she
already had arranged weekly visits
from a nurse.
United Way contacted LASO on behalf of Mrs.
Graham to see
if she could be helped. A legal aid
attorney called the landlord, persuading him to drop
the eviction. In 2016, a total of 2,757 LASO cases
-- or almost 30 percent of the caseload -- involved persons 60 years and over.
Sherry and Roddy, a married couple,
came to
legal aid after they were
tricked into signing
away their home.
When their daughter’s
boyfriend
convinced them they needed a will,
which he offered to draft, they agreed.
He
brought them a document and
obtained their
signatures. Instead of a
will,thecouple –both
deaf,muteand
illiterate -- had signed a deed giving the boyfriend their homestead property. LASO won
a summary judgment, ordering
the property to be placed back in the couple’s names and
vacating the fraudulent deed. The
couple now has clear title to their home and is living
there again, planning to leave it to their
church when they both die.
7
Financial statement.
LASO receives funding from many sources including the Legal Services Corp.; the State
of
Oklahoma Legal Services Revolving Fund; numerous private and corporate
foundations;
United Way and United Fund agencies in Ada, Ardmore, Duncan,
Durant, Enid, Idabel,
Lawton, McAlester, Muskogee, Norman, Oklahoma City,
Shawnee, Stillwater, Tulsa and
Woodward; and donations from law firms, businesses, sovereign nations and individuals
statewide. The 2016 operating
budget was $11.4 million.
Payroll,76%
OfficeExpenses,
10%
Technology
Equipment,3%
Trainingand
Travel,2%
Professional
Services,5%
Other,3%
2016Expenses
StateandLocal,
18%
Private
Donations,13%
LegalServices
Corporation,38%
OtherFederal
Grants,19%
UnitedWay,8%
Other,4%
2016SourcesofRevenue
8
Board of directors.
The priorities of LASO attorneys are, first, to ensure the safety of clients and then to
work to secure food, housing, and a source of income. This work includes helping
victims secure protection from domestic violence, assisting individuals and families
who are making the transition from welfare to work, handling cases that allow access
to necessary health care services, helping individuals secure social security income
and other benefits for which they legally qualify, insuring that poor families are able
to maintain or secure safe and affordable housing and shelter, assisting individuals
gain access to education and training, and providing legal assistance on consumer and
employment-related matters.
To ensure that Legal Aid follows best practices, the program is governed by a 25-
member board comprised of private attorneys representing county and specialty bar
associations as well as persons representing agencies and programs which serve low-
income persons in Oklahoma.
Our mission: To be a partner in the community
making equal justice for all a reality.
9
2016 Board of Directors
Dwight Smith, Esq., President, Tulsa, representing Oklahoma Bar Association.
Molly Aspan, Esq., Vice-President, Tulsa, representing Resonance Center for Women.
Lucille Logan, Secretary/Treasurer, Oklahoma City, representing Northeast Area
Council of Oklahoma County.
Leonard Benton, Oklahoma City, representing Southwestern Urban Foundation.
Marianne Blair, Esq., Tulsa, representing University of Tulsa College of Law.
Mark Bonney, Esq., Muskogee, representing Muskogee County Bar Association.
The Honorable Rick Bozarth, Esq., Taloga, representing Custer County Bar Association.
Jack L. Brown, Esq., Tulsa, representing Tulsa County Bar Association.
S. Douglas Dodd, Esq., Tulsa, representing Tulsa County Bar Association.
Bruce Frazier, Hugo, representing Choctaw Nation Victim Services Program.
Michelle Freeman, Esq., Shawnee, representing Pottawatomie County Bar Association.
Latoya Gater, Bixby, representing Family Safety Center.
James E. Green, Esq., Tulsa, representing Tulsa County Bar Association.
Patricia Hawkins, Oklahoma City, representing State Council on Aging.
Chris D. Jones, Esq., Durant, representing Bryan County Bar Association.
Laura McConnell-Corbyn, Esq., Oklahoma City, representing Oklahoma County Bar
Association.
LeAnne McGill, Esq., Edmond, representing Oklahoma Bar Foundation, Young Lawyers Division.
Richard Mitchell, Esq., Bartlesville, representing Northeast Oklahoma Black Lawyers
Association.
Nancy Parrott, Esq., Oklahoma City, representing the Oklahoma County Bar Association.
Matthew Patterson, Esq., McAlester, representing Pittsburg County Bar Association.
Pleas A. Thompson, Tulsa, representing NAACP Tulsa Branch.
Milissa Tipton-Dunkins, Esq., Oklahoma City, representing Oklahoma City Association of Black Lawyers.
Sandra Toyekoyah, Geronimo, representing Lawton Client’s Council.
Aimee Vardeman, Esq., Lawton, representing Comanche County Bar Association.
Earnest Ware, Oklahoma City, representing City-County Area Council of Oklahoma County.
10
2016 Campaign for Justice
OKLAHOMA CITY TEAM
Luke Abel Abel Law Firm
Steven L. Barghols Gable Gotwals
J. Chris Condren Pierce, Couch, Hendrickson, Baysinger & Green, P. C.
Daniel G. Couch Housley & Couch
Kevin R. Donelson Fellers, Snider, Blankenship, Bailey & Tippens, P. C.
Bryan G. Garrett Holloway, Dobson & Bachman, P. C.
Sharon Gentry Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis
Jimmy K. Goodman Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C.
Lauren Barghols Hanna McAfee & Taft
Andrew Hwang Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis
William H. Hoch Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C.
Laura McConnell-Corbyn Hartzog, Conger, Cason & Neville, P.C.
Caleb McRoy Resolution Legal Group
Kelsey Quillian Law Office of William E. Liebel
W. Dale Reneau Fenton, Fenton, Smith, Reneau & Moon
Robert N. Sheets Phillips Murrah, P.C.
Philip A. Schovanec GableGotwals
C. Russell Woody Hartzog, Conger, Cason & Neville, P.C.
TULSA TEAM
Molly Aspan Hall Estill
Bradley J. Brown Jones, Gotcher & Bogan
Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers
William R. Grimm Barrow & Grimm, P.C.
Tony Haynie Conner & Winters
Theresa Noble Hill Rhodes Hieronymous
C.
S. Lewis III Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis
James M. Love Titus, Hillis, Reynolds, Love, Dickman & McCalmon
D.
Michael McBride III Crowe & Dunlevy
J. Daniel Morgan Newton, O’Connor, Turner & Ketchem
James J. Proszek Hall Estill
Eric Schelin Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers
Benjamin N. Schiller Crowe & Dunlevy
Vani Singhal McAfee & Taft
11
Why Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma?
1.
In 2016 829,320 Oklahomans had incomes at or below 125
percent of
poverty and thus were eligible for LASO’s services. These
households need
access to the justice system in order to protect their homes, families and health.
2.
The essence of LASO’s work is providing critical legal assistance to people
living in poverty and to the elderly. This work is essential to families and
individuals. With access to legal aid they can often keep their families together.
LASO is likely to be
the only provider available to these clients because they have
no money to pay.
3.
LASO provides access to the justice system for poor people who have very
limited access to justice compared to the general population. Few attorneys
practice Poverty Law, a specialized area which includes Family Law, Government
Benefits Law, Homelessness Law, Housing Law, Legal Assistance to the Poor and
Social Security Law. Even fewer practice for free. LASO is Oklahoma’s largest
poverty law firm, staffed by specially-trained and experienced professionals. To
help all these families in our community, LASO has 107 lawyers - or
one attorney
for every 7,750 low-income Oklahomans.
4.
LASO helps our judicial system function more efficiently by providing quality
legal advice and representation to families and individuals who might otherwise
attempt to resolve their legal problems without the benefit of counsel or outside
the civil justice system. Legal aid helps people overcome pressing problems of
everyday life – domestic violence, homelessness, divorce and child custody,
financial exploitation, unfair employment and wage claims and denial of
government benefits, such as food stamps and disability.
5.
LASO provides critical and cost-effective services that improve and save
lives. For example, securing a protective order can save individuals
from severe
physical and emotional harm; gaining access to needed health care
at a critical
time prevents more serious and expensive problems later on; preventing an
eviction through early legal
intervention can avoid the much more expensive
societal costs of homelessness
later; and helping a person make the welfare to
work transition increases the potential
for a sound economic future.
12
6. Oklahoma’s poverty rate in 2016 was 16.1% while poverty rates for children
and women were 21.8 and 18 percent, respectively. These households need
access to the justice system to collect child support, obtain orders of protection
when there is domestic violence, receive medical care for their families, enable
their disabled children t o receive critical services and to protect their homes.
7. One of Oklahoma’s most respected attorneys, William G. Paul, who served
as chair of the first statewide Campaign for Justice in Oklahoma 2003-
2005, said the best way of providing civil legal services to low-income
persons is with a stand-alone program with Poverty Law expertise. Paul,
who served as president of the American Bar Association in 1999-2000, said “The
most cost-effective way to meet the need of providing free civil legal help to the
poor is through a full-time professional legal aid program.”
8.
LASO’s work is strictly regulated by the Legal Services Corporation and
prohibits involvement in class action suits or fee-generating cases.
LASO
generally refers these cases to the private bar while LASO focuses on civil law.
Regulations prohibit assisting with any criminal defense
issues or representation of
incarcerated persons.
9.
LASO drew to the state $6.5 million in out-of-state funding in 2016. Not
only does that funding directly allow tens of thousands of low-income
and elderly
persons to achieve justice, but thousands more are affected indirectly,
greatly
improving their lives. In addition to the lives improved, each $5 million
in outside
funding translates to an economic impact of over $7 million in within
Oklahoma,
according to an analysis done by OCU economists in 2011.
10. LASO’s services are a great investment for Oklahoma. A donation to the
Campaign for Justice is a charitable contribution and a great investment, making
Oklahoma a better place to live.