About
Who we are: southeast louisiana legal services (SLLS) is the largest NON-profit law firm in louisiana whose mission is to achieve justice through free civil legal aid to low-income people by direct case work, advocacy, and community education. SLLS and its predecessor in the new orleans AREA, the new orleans legal assistance corporation, have been on the frontlines for over 50 years providing a legal safety NET to folks at the times in their lives when they need help the most. In 2003, SLLS merged with nolac to cover 12 parishes. In 2011, SLLS assumed responsibility for civil legal services in an additional 10 parishes in the baton rouge and houma AREA. SLLS has grown to seven offices, serves 22 parishes, and has about 170 employees. What we do: SLLS works daily to protect domestic violence from abuse, represents abused and neglected children in the foster care system, protects elderly consumers from identity theft and consumers from fraud, helps preserve housing for hard-working families, removes barriers to medical care, improves health outcomes, helps people living with disabilities live more stable lives, improves access to employment and education for vulnerable people, and so much more. In 2023, we helped our clients obtain or protect over $26 million in direct economic benefits. An economic impact study released by the louisiana BAR foundation in 2022 found that for every $1 invested in civil legal aid, there was a $17.99 return on social investment in short and long term impacts and costsavings. Our impact on lives saved through our domestic violence work, families stabilized, and abused children safeguarded through our child in need of care work is even more important, but difficult to measure. Our PRO BONO attorneys and volunteer law students provided over 15,000 hours of free civil help in 2023 with a value of over $1 million.the SLLS BLOG had over 76,000 views with over 5,000 people attending community legal education events, and over 2,500 referrals made. With the generous support of our funders, including the legal services corporation, the louisiana BAR foundation, and many more partners, SLLS handled over 13,000 cases LAST year composed of 27,681 people. We started a number of new initiatives in 2023 to respond to the surge of need for civil legal aid including a major expansion of our HEIR property work, new medical-legal partnerships for veterans in baton rouge and the northshore, a new crime victim advocacy project, a cancer legal advocacy project, and a PRO BONO innovation fund eviction DESK in baton rouge city court. Awards: SLLS and its staff have received numerous awards for our legal work over the years including the louisiana BAR foundation's award for outstanding grantee and the greater new orleans foundation's sustained excellence award. Fifteen SLLS attorneys, the most of ANY agency, have received the state BAR association's career public interest award. Two attorneys have received the national reginald heber smith award from the national legal aid and defender association, the highest honor a civil legal aid attorney CAN receive. In 2023, SLLS and its staff were honored with the 2023 LSBA career public interest award, the 2023 LSBA innovation in legal services delivery award for its homeless one stop legal clinic, the 2023 together we CAN inspired to achieve award, and a 2023 american BAR association fearless children's lawyer of the month award.
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