Rural

Talk Justice: Episode 117

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:12:08 +0000

Talk Justice: Episode 117 sierra-chacona… Tue, 11/25/2025 - 16:12

Shaping Future Lawyers: Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellows Share Their Experience

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:52:56 +0000

Shaping Future Lawyers: Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellows Share Their Experience sierra-chacona… Wed, 09/24/2025 - 12:52

In this project brief, hear from three former Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellows who share how the Fellowship shaped their understanding of the legal aid field and influenced their career trajectories.

“Learn not to take no for an answer. Always think about the people you're fighting for and the community you're trying to create access for and use that as motivation.”

Hana Lewis

RSLC Class of 2024

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Outreach Rural Rural Summer Legal Corps (RSLC)

Serving Rural Veterans: Pine Tree Legal Assistance’s Medical-Legal Partnership Model

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:39:32 +0000

Serving Rural Veterans: Pine Tree Legal Assistance’s Medical-Legal Partnership Model sierra-chacona… Mon, 07/14/2025 - 16:39

In this case study, learn how Pine Tree Legal Assistance pioneered an innovative medical-legal partnership with the veteran healthcare system in Maine.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance's Veteran Medical-Legal Partnership Model

Grantees will learn how Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA):

Tailored the traditional medical-legal partnership (MLP) model to meet rural veterans' needs;
Diversified the Veteran MLP funding to sustain the program; and
Worked closely with veteran healthcare staff to help them identify patients' health-harming legal needs.

Hear from PTLA Managing Attorney Nicole Golden-Bouchard and Veteran MLP attorney Dylan Maeby about their insights and replicable practices for providing statewide assistance to veterans.

View Case Study

"One of the biggest takeaways from our MLP is how important getting buy-in on the [Veterans Administration] is. From having a physical space to use when meeting with veterans on the Togus medical campus to ensuring providers feel supported ... buy-in is key."

Dylan Maeby

Veteran MLP Attorney, Pine Tree Legal Assistance

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Health & Medical Outreach Public Benefits Rural Veterans Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF)

Nevada Legal Services: Building a Statewide Legal Kiosk Network

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 17:39:52 +0000

Nevada Legal Services: Building a Statewide Legal Kiosk Network sierra-chacona… Tue, 04/22/2025 - 13:39

In this project brief, learn how Nevada Legal Services leveraged partnerships with community libraries to install a network of legal kiosks.

Building a Statewide Legal Kiosk Network

Grantees will learn how Nevada Legal Services (NLS):

1. Identified appropriate locations to establish legal kiosks in public libraries

2. Leveraged partnerships to help support kiosk placement and library staff training

3. Organized community outreach events to promote the legal kiosk.

Hear from NLS Executive Director Alex Cherup and Litigation Director Susan Myers about their insights, lessons learned, and replicable practices from implementing the Legal Kiosk Project.

View Project Brief

"[We] were inspired in part by the ��è��Ƶ Public Library Initiative ... It was something to help the librarians and public together because, of course, libraries are the community resources where people go for information."

Susan Myers

Litigation Director, Nevada Legal Services

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Intake Outreach Technology Training Rural Seniors

Nevada

Michigan Indian Legal Service: Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:19:57 +0000

Michigan Indian Legal Service: Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities sierra-chacona… Tue, 04/22/2025 - 11:19

In this case study, learn how Michigan Indian Legal Services establishes trust within tribal communities by maintaining an active in-person presence.

Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities

Grantees will learn how Michigan Indian Legal Services (MILS):

1. Builds trust and relationships with tribal nations through consistent in-person presence,

2. Maximizes its capacity to serve as many constituents as possible, and

3. Navigates and overcomes service delivery challenges.

Hear from Cameron Fraser, MILS's Executive Director, about lessons learned and replicable practices for ��è��Ƶ grantees serving Indigenous populations.

View Case Study

"Having coworkers be involved in the [Native communities] and a part of the families helps a lot and ensures that we are providing a competent place for people to get legal services."

Cameron Fraser

Executive Director, MILS

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Outreach COVID-19 Native American Rural

Michigan

Dave: Farmer Saves Livelihood with Legal Help

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:57:45 +0000

Dave: Farmer Saves Livelihood with Legal Help sierra-chacona… Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:57

A farmer in North Carolina didn’t know how his family would survive, after a tropical storm devastated his farm. ��è��Ƶ-funded legal aid helped him overturn a denied FEMA application and save his family’s livelihood.

Meet Dave

After Tropical Storm Helene devastated his farm, farmer Dave Roland lost his fall crop, his roadside stand, and most of his essential farming tools and equipment. The farm was his family’s sole source of income, and he didn’t know how they would survive. Dave attended a pop-up Disaster Relief Center. There, he met a legal aid attorney who helped him prepare an affidavit on the spot. Dave left with the paperwork he needed to get his farm back to working order, with a renewed sense of hope, and with an eagerness to share what he had learned with others.

So far in 2025, disasters have caused $182.7 billion in damages.

Civil legal challenges can haunt disaster survivors for years as they face complex bureaucratic systems while struggling to rebuild their lives. ��è��Ƶ-funded legal aid support low-income business owners with disaster preparedness and legal expertise during recovery.

Learn More About Disaster Legal Services

Learn About North Carolina

Learn about the civil legal needs impacting the state of North Carolina.

Learn About North Carolina

Learn About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Learn about ��è��Ƶ grantee, Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC).

Learn About LANC

Disaster-Related Needs

Rural

North Carolina

Disaster Preparedness: Promoting Heartland Disaster Help

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:15:03 +0000

Disaster Preparedness: Promoting Heartland Disaster Help sierra-chacona… Fri, 12/13/2024 - 14:15

In this infographic, learn about how ��è��Ƶ grantees can integrate ��è��Ƶ's Heartland Disaster Help website into their legal aid services nationwide.

Promoting Heartland Disaster Help

Grantees will learn about how they can use ��è��Ƶ's Heartland Disaster Help (HDH) website to:

1. Keep their client populations informed about disaster preparation and recovery;

2. Share tools for communities nationwide to assess their personal risk levels; and

3. Enhance their disaster preparedness outreach.

Read about the different tools the HDH website provides for grantees nationwide that help low-income populations prepare for and recover from natural disasters.

View Infographic

“By integrating the Heartland Disaster Help website into their legal aid services, ��è��Ƶ grantees can help support community resilience and preparedness.”

Excerpt from the infographic

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Outreach Public Benefits Disaster Grant Disasters Rural

How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 19:28:13 +0000

How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations sierra-chacona… Wed, 09/25/2024 - 15:28

In this case study, learn how Oklahoma Indian Legal Services builds trust and relationships with tribal nations to deliver legal services.

Ensuring Tribal Justice: How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations

Grantees will learn how Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS):

1. Builds trust and relationships with tribal nations through consistent in-person presence,
2. Navigates challenges and barriers to service delivery with cultural humility, and
3. Uses innovative service delivery methods like the Disaster Navigator bus.

Hear from OILS Executive Director Stephanie Hudson about lessons learned and replicable practices for ��è��Ƶ grantees serving Indigenous populations.

Read Case Study

“Over half of OILS's staff are members of tribal nations, and this diverse team helps OILS navigate the complexities of the tribal landscape."

Stephanie Hudson

Executive Director, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services

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Outreach Disaster Grant Disasters Demographics Native American Rural

Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 14:24:26 +0000

Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates sierra-chacona… Thu, 08/08/2024 - 10:24

In this case study, learn how the Montana Legal Services Association expanded its legal aid capacity in rural and tribal communities through the Montana Tribal Advocacy Incubator Project.

Montana Legal Services Association: Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay

Grantees will learn how the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA):

1. Built the Tribal Advocacy Incubator (TAI) Project to expand legal aid capacity;

2. Developed an education program to recruit, train, and mentor tribal lay advocates; and

3. Addressed gaps in training and quality representation by standardizing practices.

Hear from Kathryn Seaton, Tribal Law Attorney at MLSA, and Valerie Falls Down, TAI Project Coordinator, about partnering with tribal courts to recruit, train, mentor, and support tribal lay advocates to provide legal assistance to low-income Native Americans.

Read Case Study

“The Montana Legal Services Association’s Tribal Advocacy Incubator Project originated with an understanding: Montana’s legal community is small, and the number of people who practice tribal law is even smaller.”

Kathryn Seaton

Tribal Law Attorney, Montana Legal Services Association

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Outreach Strategic Planning Training COVID-19 Native American Rural

Montana

Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide

sierra-chacona@lsc.gov — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:12:49 +0000

Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide sierra-chacona… Wed, 08/07/2024 - 12:12

Learn how Legal Services of North Florida launched mobile units to reach low income residents facing digital challenges in this case study.

Legal Services of North Florida: Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide

Grantees will learn how Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF):

1. Implemented digital solutions and outreach for increased legal aid demands;

2. Created and sent mobile units to areas recovering from natural disasters; and

3. Increased housing assistance cases and digital intake capacity

Hear from Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, Executive Director of LSNF, and Charlotte Waters, Communications Director, about measures SNF took to increase its online intake capacity, manage case logistics, and educate court personnel about digital challenge facing its clients during natural disasters.

Read Case Study

”LSNF’s multimedia outreach on social media, radio, and printed fliers throughout Hurricane Michael’s recovery efforts and COVID-19 contributed to a large increase in housing assistance applications, particularly for evictions.”

Charlotte Waters

Communications Director, Legal Services of North Florida

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Intake Outreach Strategic Planning Technology COVID-19 Disasters Rural

Florida

Rural

Talk Justice: Episode 117

Shaping Future Lawyers: Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellows Share Their Experience

Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellows Share Their Experience

Legal Aid of North Carolina: Inspiring Bold Ideas through the Innovation Olympics

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: Transforming Volunteer Training with the Pro Bono Training Institute

Seasoned Wisdom: Veteran Legal Aid Leaders Share Their Insights

More on Providing Legal Services

More Model Practices and Innovations

Serving Rural Veterans: Pine Tree Legal Assistance’s Medical-Legal Partnership Model

Pine Tree Legal Assistance's Veteran Medical-Legal Partnership Model

Dialing Up: How Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Expanded Its Services to Bridge the Digital Divide

Montana Legal Services Association: Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates

Michigan Indian Legal Services: Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities

More on Providing Legal Services Resources

More Model Practices & Innovations

Nevada Legal Services: Building a Statewide Legal Kiosk Network

Building a Statewide Legal Kiosk Network

Library Partnerships with Legal Aid During Disaster Recovery

Free Course: Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters

Free Course: Creating Pathways to Civil Legal Justice

More on Providing Legal Services

More Model Practices & Innovations

Michigan Indian Legal Service: Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities

Building Trust and Increasing Justice Through Presence in Tribal Communities

: Ensuring Tribal Justice: How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations

Montana Legal Services Association: Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates

Anishinabe Legal Services: Capital Fundraising Campaign

More Providing Legal Services Resources

More Model Practices & Innovations

Dave: Farmer Saves Livelihood with Legal Help

Meet Dave

Learn About North Carolina

Learn About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Disaster Preparedness: Promoting Heartland Disaster Help

Promoting Heartland Disaster Help

“By integrating the Heartland Disaster Help website into their legal aid services, ��è��Ƶ grantees can help support community resilience and preparedness.”

Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide

Library Partnerships During Disaster Recovery

Free Course: Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters

More on Strategic Planning

More Model Practices & Innovations

How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations

Ensuring Tribal Justice: How Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Advocates for Native Populations

“Over half of OILS's staff are members of tribal nations, and this diverse team helps OILS navigate the complexities of the tribal landscape."

Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates

Moving Beyond Lawyer-Based Solutions with Community Justice Workers

Capital Fundraising Campaign

More on Providing Legal Services

More Model Practices & Innovations

Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay Advocates

Montana Legal Services Association: Traveling the Distance to Train Tribal Lay

“The Montana Legal Services Association’s Tribal Advocacy Incubator Project originated with an understanding: Montana’s legal community is small, and the number of people who practice tribal law is even smaller.”

Moving Beyond Lawyer-Based Solutions with Community Justice Workers

Transforming Volunteer Training with the Pro Bono Training Institute

Capital Fundraising Campaign

More on Providing Legal Services

More Model Practices & Innovations

Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide

Legal Services of North Florida: Building Bridges Across the Digital Divide

”LSNF’s multimedia outreach on social media, radio, and printed fliers throughout Hurricane Michael’s recovery efforts and COVID-19 contributed to a large increase in housing assistance applications, particularly for evictions.”

Expanding Services to Bridge the Digital Divide

Library Partnerships During Disaster Recovery

Free Course: Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters

More on Providing Legal Services

More Model Practices & Innovations