justice has to come from somewhere, stand for...

Justice hasto come fromsomewhere,stand for

something &have a story

to tell.legal aid of western missouri 2011 annual report

success stories 7message from executive director 15practice areas 16special projects 18joplin tornado response 19veterans’ treatment court 20case statistics 21volunteer attorney project 23young professionals board 25where we work 27service area map 29donations 31tributes 32financials 33 people 34

Legal Aid of Western Missouri has improved the lives of those in need

through quality legal assistance since 1964. Legal Aid provides free

civil legal assistance to people who need it most and can afford it least.

With offices in downtown Kansas City, Joplin, St. Joseph, Warrensburg

and a neighborhood office on Kansas City’s west side, Legal Aid serves a

40-county area where 278,000 people live in poverty.

www.lawmo.org

what’s inside

legal aid of western missoUri on

in 2011legal aid providedfree legal

services to 13,833

clients.( But that’s only part of our story )

4

in 2011legal aid

represented1,431

clients who were victims of domestic

violence,

another 1,446 onhousing issues,

1,118 withhealthcare cases

and a fewhundred more inconsumer law

cases...

(Wait — there’s much more )

in 2011, 50%of our clientswere african

american,7% werehispanic,

and 30% wereelderly ordisabled.

100% werelow-income,but that’s

only aportion ofthe story.

statistics anddemographicinformation

are important.

they quantify need.they justify funding.

( you need to read about actual clients )

but numbersdon’t fully

tell our storyor adequatelyexplain why

the work we do matters.

mrs. johnson took on her mortgage company & won(but she didn’t have to do it alone)

legal aid of western missouri 2011 annual report 7

Mrs. Johnson is an elderly widow in her 70s, who faced foreclosure from

her mortgage company when they double-billed her for insurance erro-

neously, resulting in a large escrow deficiency. Legal Aid sent a let-

ter to the mortgage company asking the company to reverse the erroneous

charges, which the mortgage company was legally obligated to respond to

under a federal law called RESPA.

The mortgage company failed to respond to the letter Legal Aid sent,

and instead continued to threaten Mrs. Johnson with foreclosure. Legal

Aid brought suit in federal district court and stopped the lender from

foreclosing. As part of a settlement, the mortgage company corrected her

account, cleared up her credit report, and paid her $5,000 in damages.

mrs. Johnson’s story

respect for our client’s confidentiality prevents us from using her real name & photo.

veterans’ court gave carl a second chance at life(his legal aid attorney was with him every step of the way)


Like many young veterans, Carl came back from war with mental scars. Carl, 45, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His condition affects every aspect of his daily life, even something as simply going to the library. While at the library in May 2011, Carl got into an argument with the security guard and was asked to leave. Before he knew what hap-pened, the argument escalated, police were called and Carl ended up spend-ing four days in the Municipal jail, instead of a Veteran’s hospital where he requested to go. Carl had an opportunity to meet with the Veterans’ Treatment Court judge, who told him about the Veterans’ Court program in which veterans can opt into services to avoid jail or fines, and ultimately have their cases dismissed. Carl agreed to participate.

Once in the program, Carl’s doctors adjusted his PTSD medication. Because of his previous attempts to self-medicate with alcohol, his program included substance abuse recovery groups. He also took part in compen-sated work therapy. Carl continued his therapy and even gained perma-nent part-time federal employment. Within nine months, Carl had met all the requirements and graduated from the program in February, 2012. Upon graduation, the cases for trespassing and assault were dismissed and his library privileges were reinstated. Carl was extremely appreciative of all the help that he received through the Veterans Treatment Court. (Read more about Veterans’ Treatment Court on page 20.)

respect for our client’s confidentiality prevents us from using his real name & photo.

carl’s story

vickie & her children safely escaped their abuser(they had legal aid on their side)


vickie’s storyAfter suffering a severe beating on Mother’s Day 2011, Vickie, 25, found the courage to pick up her two toddlers and leave her abusive spouse. But her solace was short-lived. One of the 8,000 homes wiped out by the deadly tornado that struck Joplin on May 22 was the home Vickie had found safety in with family members.

With no money or home, Vickie made the agonizing decision to go back to her ex. It didn’t take long for the nightmare of abuse to begin again. On Father’s Day in June, Vickie’s husband strangled her in front of their two young children. Fortunately, she and her children managed to get away.

Vickie turned to Legal Aid for help. Legal Aid represented Vickie and obtained an order of protection for her, granting her full custody of her children. Vickie found a new place to live and with Legal Aid’s help, this courageous young woman was able to finally escape the abuse for good. She and her children are now making a fresh start.

respect for our client’s confidentiality prevents us from using her real name & photo.

mario exposed a.d.a. violations & avoided eviction(thanks to help from his legal aid attorney)


Mario is a disabled resident of a HUD subsidized multi-family unit. His unit was advertised as an “ADA” unit, one of four in the complex. In fact, the unit violated numerous ADA standards. For example, Mario’s kitchen was 39 inches wide, and his wheelchair was 36 inches wide. Mario was forced to maneuver along the 7 foot long kitchen with no turning or angling room whatsoever, and to manipulate the doors of the refrigerator and stove without being able to access them directly from the front.

In his attempt to use the kitchen, Mario put several small scratches on the appliances. The landlord first gave Mario some appliance touch-up paint, which Mario applied to the appliances. Then, the landlord deter-mined that, because of the scratches, the appliances needed to be com-pletely replaced, and sent Mario a bill for nearly $1,000.00. When Mario didn’t pay the bill (he was an SSI recipient), the landlord filed an evic-tion action.

Mario turned to Legal Aid for help. His Legal Aid attorney filed an answer and affirmative defenses, raising the issues of violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. After discovery was commenced by Legal Aid, the landlord dismissed its eviction action and allowed Mario to continue to live in his apartment.

respect for our client’s confidentiality prevents us from using his real name & photo.

mario’s story

we strive tomake surethe legal

system worksfor everyone,

not justthose who

can afford it.


the legal aid storyWe live in a world driven by cold, hard facts and statistics. You pick up a news-paper or get on the internet and you can drown in them.

In many ways, the focus on facts and figures is healthy and unavoidable. To understand the need for and effective-ness of Legal Aid’s work, you have to look at the numbers. Here, for example, are a handful of numbers that speak volumes about the need for our work: there are now 278,000 people living in poverty in western Missouri (up 39% from ten years ago). For all practical purposes, the only access to the civil justice system that any of these people will ever have will be through Legal Aid’s staff of 57 attorneys and 26 paralegals. Those are some pretty sobering statistics.

Numbers, however, often have a distanc-ing effect. When we talk about numbers, it is easy to think that our being able to serve 18% of the need (and that would be an optimistic estimate), as opposed to 25%, is just a matter of numbers—a relatively small cut with no statistically meaning-ful impact.

But every time we open a case file, it is for a living, breathing, human being who is facing one of the most difficult times of his or her life, whether it be a woman dealing with a boyfriend who is abus-ing her and her children; a family fac-ing foreclosure on the family home; a man

dealing with denial of access to critical medical care he needs to get medication so he can stop the voices in his head; or a senior facing an unlawful eviction from her home.

This report is a won-derful introduction to the stories of the thousands of real people Legal Aid represented in 2011. I hope, however, that you go beyond just reading it. I hope that it inspires you to work with us. Our volunteers tell us regularly that the work they do for our clients is some of the most gratify-ing work that they have ever done, and it has been the same for me. In a world of cold facts and figures, when you can bring justice to a single life, that experience can bring meaning and a wonderful sense of fulfillment to your own life.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and call to volunteer. The number is (816)421-8020. We look forward to hear-ing from you. Let’s do justice together.

gregg Lombardiexecutive director

legal aid of western missouri 2011 annual report16

family law/domestic violence protectionLegal Aid’s experienced family law advo-cates help ensure lasting safety for survivors of domestic violence and their children. They provide legal representa-tion to low-income victims of abuse that allows their clients to secure protec-tive orders, establish paternity, obtain divorces and orders for child custody and support. Due to our limited resources, the family law cases we accept all involve domestic violence and primarily situa-tions in which children are at risk.

From Legal Aid’s founding in 1964, domes-tic violence prevention has remained one of our top priorities. Effective legal representation like this, combined with our ability to refer clients to other community resources for assistance with non-legal matters, has proven to be one of the most effective means of stopping domestic violence.

With Legal Aid’s assistance, domestic vio-lence survivors are able to achieve phys-ical safety and financial security. With this support, victims are more likely to leave their abusers and have the personal and financial capacity to establish a life free from abuse.

housing assistanceLegal Aid’s housing advocates provide a broad array of legal services to clients living in poverty, focusing primarily on public housing and Section 8 housing.

We also assist people who are disabled with accessibility issues, and we help other clients with disputes over eligi-bility for public and subsidized hous-ing. Our housing counselors regularly provide advice or representation to help our clients avoid wrongful evictions and improper rent calculations.

foreclosure preventionSaving the homes of low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners is a Legal Aid priority. Due to our nationwide foreclo-sure crisis, thousands of Missourians are facing the imminent loss of their homes -- some due to having a predatory loan originated through fraud, and others due to a job loss or disability, high medical bills, or other debts leading to a home loan delinquency.

Depending on the circumstances, our staff has helped homeowners save their homes in a variety of ways. Through litiga-tion in state and federal courts, we bring to light deficiencies in the foreclosure process and frequently convince courts to stop foreclosure sales or to set aside legally invalid sales. We file Chapter 13 bankruptcies to stop the foreclosure process and allow homeowners additional time to repay or restructure their debts, and also to contest improprieties in the foreclosure process. Legal Aid also negotiates directly with loan servicers to pursue loss mitigation options, includ-ing loan modifications to reduce inter-est rates and payments. We also counsel homeowners and tenants on their legal

our main Practice areas


options before and after a home is fore-closed on and provide legal representa-tion when needed.

At times homeowners living on a small retirement or disability income fall behind in paying their property taxes and are faced with the loss of their home of many years. Legal Aid helps these homeowners save their homes through tax redemption contracts, filing Chapter 13 bankruptcies, or seeking legal redress due to deficiencies in tax sale proceedings.

healthcareLegal Aid represents people who are per-manently and totally disabled who have had their Medicaid benefits denied or terminated. In 2011, we obtained Medicaid benefits for 431 clients. This work gives our clients access to ongoing, pro-active medical care and medication and greatly increases their quality of life.

consumer/employment lawLegal Aid advises and represents low-income clients, particularly seniors liv-ing on Social Security, in collection and garnishment issues, consumer issues and utility shutoffs. Staff draft powers of attorney for disabled and elderly clients to designate a reliable and trustworthy caregiver of their choice to help them with their medical and financial needs. Legal Aid attorneys represent grand-parents raising grandchildren in guard-ianship proceedings to provide a stable home, school enrollment, and to obtain medical records. Legal Aid assists many

unemployed workers to obtain unemploy-ment benefits when they are terminated from employment through no fault of their own. Staff also advise employees regarding their rights under the Equal Employment laws.

immigration law projectLegal Aid staff represent individuals and their families with immigration cases including applications for work permits, temporary and permanent resident status, and United States citizenship.

Legal Aid also provides advice on immi-gration issues to the immigrant victims of domestic violence, as well as train-ing for caseworkers at domestic violence shelters and others assisting battered immigrants and those who are victims of violent crime and human trafficking.

federal benefits/consumer creditLegal Aid provides clients with assis-tance with federal benefit claims. Typical claims involve public assistance benefits such as Social Security, SSI, and Medicare. Legal Aid also handles a variety of other issues of concern to individuals including consumer issues and debtor-creditor problems.


Special projectSOur staff’s commitment and flexibility allow us to evolve and adapt to our clients’ changing needs. As a result, Legal Aid continues to develop innovative partnerships and programs designed to concentrate legal services in areas of particular need in our client community.

equal justice works americorp joplin tornado relief drug courtlow-income taxpayer clinicmedicaid appeals partnerships with

truman medical center•albany regional medical center•nevada regional medical center•

medical legal partnership children’s mercy hospital•kansas city free health clinic•operation breakthrough•st. luke’s hospital •ku med dept. of family medicine•

mental health court migrant farmworkers projectneighborhood attorney project post-foreclosure task forceproject assist-northwest (protective orders)protecting immigrant families project (protective orders)rural assistance now (protective orders)veterans’ courtvolunteer attorney project special projects

abandoned housing act project•dom. violence intervention mentorship project•education project•elderly outreach program•homeless outreach•low income taxpayer clinic attorney panel•pro bono program for bankruptcy litigation•project consent (guardianships)•pro se dissolution of marriage clinics•transactional law project•urban core estate planning project•warrant relief project •

voices in court (protective orders)Zombie debt eradication program


On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the E-F5 tor-nado struck the city of 49,000, killing 161 people and wiping out approximately 30% of the city. Almost immediately, the phone started ringing at Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Joplin office.

Knowing that our Joplin staff was already overwhelmed meeting the needs of low-income families in the community, Legal Aid developed a plan to create the Tornado Relief Team that includes two attorneys and two paralegals who will work exclu-sively on tornado-recovery related issues for two years following the disaster. The two attorneys are Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and are funded by grants from Equal Justice Works, the Legal Services Corporation and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.

For low-income people, the legal needs that come with a natural disaster can be over-whelming and in many instances can stand as an absolute bar between the survivors and their ability to move on with their lives.

The phone continues ringing at Legal Aid in Joplin, but thanks to generous donors, there is now a Tornado Relief Team in place to help the many survivors with their legal issues. Already, Legal Aid of Western Missouri has opened hundreds of tornado-related cases. Of those, many involve land-lord tenant issues, domestic violence, which has been aggravated by the stress of the disaster, housing issues such as contract for deed, foreclosures, repairs, contractor fraud, etc.

Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Joplin office continues to work closely with FEMA, the Missouri Bar, and the Jasper County Bar Association to provide free legal assistance to low-income victims of the tor-nado. From talking with professionals from other states where natural disasters had occurred, such as Hurricane Katrina, Legal Aid learned that the destruction caused by the tornado will result in thousands of legal issues for low-income Joplin resi-dents over the coming months and years.

Legal Aid is grateful for all the sup-porters who have funded our tornado relief efforts.

legal aid Provided much needed tornado relief

a joplin resident and his young young neighbor survey the tornado damage (photo by david r. eulitt and of courtesy of the kansas city star)


Special courts aimed at helping veterans with legal problems are emerging around the country as service members return from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, spurring efforts to help them and others who served in the military.

The City of Kansas City, Missouri Veterans’ Treatment Court coordinates with the Veterans Administration (VA) and other service providers so veterans with minor infractions can opt into services such as drug treatment or job training to avoid jail or fines and ultimately have their cases dismissed. The VA estimates that veterans account for 10% of the people who have criminal records.

Upon admittance to the program, each vet-eran must complete a physical and psycho-logical assessment. Identifying needs such as medical, housing, employment, substance abuse or mental health helps to indi-vidualize a treatment plan. The veteran may then be required to undergo random drug screenings, attend community support programs, or agree to substance abuse or mental health counseling.

Legal Aid’s Veteran Court attorney repre-sents veteran offenders with city ordinance violations such as public drunkenness, drug possession, simple assault, trespassing or other minor charges.

There are four phases to the veteran pro-gram and initially, the veterans see the judge weekly and must have a minimum of 14 days sobriety to advance to the next phase. As the veteran progresses, court appearances are reduced. The program is approximately 12

months long. Graduations are held quarterly.Throughout the process veterans receive tremendous support. Veterans encourage one another in the courtroom. Mentors encour-age the veterans with a minimum of weekly contact with their mentees. Veterans who are doing well often receive applause in the courtroom and are given a chance to receive various token gifts.

Of the 48 who have graduated from the program since it began in August 2009 only two have incurred a new charge.

Veterans’ Treatment Court is a place for veterans to come together and the focus is on whole-person recovery with a goal of reintegration into society.

veteran’s coUrt celebrated success

judge ardie bland presents a graduation certificate to a recent veterans’ treatment court graduate. (photo by stephanie boyer)


family law & domestic violence (27.4%) 1,665domestic abuse protective order 15.5% 941domestic abuse: marital dissolution 4.7% 284pro se for marital dissolutions 3.4% 208child custody and safe visitation 2.3% 140paternity, child support & other 1.1% 66juvenile neglect and abuse 0.4% 26

housing (23.8%) 1,446federally subsidiZed housing 6.8% 411tenant rights 6.1% 372foreclosure prevention 3.6% 216homeownership 3.3% 202bankruptcy: foreclosure prevention 3.2% 195estates/ beneficiary deeds 0.8% 50

healthcare (18.4%) 1,118medicaid appeals 14.8% 898healthcare- other 2.0% 124mo healthnet appeals 1.6% 96

consumer law 9.3% 564public benefits 476

social security appeals 2.2% 133disability/ ssdi 1.7% 105income maintenance 2.2% 135food stamps 1.7% 103

immigration & agricultural worker issues 3.2% 194guardianship for minors 2.4% 144adult guardianship, poa/advance directives 3.1% 187education & employment issues 2.0% 120economic/community development 1.5% 90low-income tax payer clinic cases 1.2% 70

total civil cases 6,074

total kcmo municipal court cases 7,595total kcmo mental health court cases 164

total 2011 closed cases 13,833

our numbers

in 2011, ourvap attorneysclosed more

than 600 cases,giving theirclients muchneeded access

to justice.


volunteer attorney ProjectThe Volunteer Attorney Project (VAP) places eligible clients with private attorneys who agree to provide free legal representation to those who otherwise could not afford it. The private attorneys who volunteer their time through VAP believe in the principle of equal access to the legal system, of making “justice for all” more than just a promise. These attorneys are convinced that our legal system must work for all its citizens, and they donate their time and considerable talents to make that ideal a reality. During 2011, VAP attorneys closed 627 cases representing more than 4,258 hours of legal representation, approximately $851,600 worth of attorney time.

kansas cityjohn abbottjohn aisenbreydawn akinmillard aldridgejason amerinechristopher andersondavid andersonerin andersonteresa l. anderson louis angleschristina arnonerussell c. ashley deanna atchleykimberly athiejohn aZimi-tabriZianne baggottbernard balkinbrian baltZellbrian barjenbruchdavid r. barlow david barrettthad batsonr. andrew battmerkyle beleujames belljennifer berhorstgail berkowitZjames h. bernard, jr.judith berry mary ellen bigge nick billmannancy blackwellgeorge blackwoodallen blairbetsy blakeshawna blighcydney bolerandreal bolstadjana bookerjonathan a. bortnick brittany boswellsteve bough daniel bowersstacey bowman

susan bratcherdoug breyfogle john m. briggcatheryn brooksdaniel r. brownwalter brownlee b. brummitfred bryant l.j. bucknertye burgerbrett burmeisterstephanie burtonanita butlerrobert n. calbijoseph cambianojasmine campbelljohn r. campbell, jr.robin carlsonlydia carson kevin chaffeejohn chick, jr. gina chialacarl chinnerymichele cholletdavid chowinsteresa chupatrick cierpiotcarl clarkjoni cole gary collinsnatalie cookdavid cooperedward coulsonjohn cowdenmichael crabbdon crabtreeerin mayfield craigjohn f. crawforddeborah cregomatthew j. crimminsjames croninfred crouchcharles currydana cutlerkeith cutler

michael cutlerwill cZarlinskydon dagenaisjason daveydonald l. davisgardiner daviskendal daytom m. deacycathy j. deandavid deanjay dehardt jeff deinessherry dejanes tim denkerjohn dennisdiane dennistondavid desimone daniel devine janeen devries jonathan dilly jennifer dodsonbrian j. dohertydenise drakechris duncanrobert dunsfordsteven effertZ anne emertrichard englishjerald ensleinjames ensZkent ericksongayle stutZman evansryan evansaddam g. fera michael fieldingjennifer finch jo leigh fischernicole fisherrachel foley edward ford, iii nicole forsytheedward foster michael foster dennis r. fowlerjames freeman, iii

david frensleybrian gaddy vince gaultiermatthew geiger douglas ghertnerashley gillardstanley gillespiesteve gilleybarbara glesner-fineskim goffchristina gondringmax gordonrobert gordon charles gotschallbeau gravesj. michael greardione greene angela habeebullaheliZabeth hadenscott hainesdebora hale daniel hall william halllawrence hamelshane hammanalicia hammondsteve hannsarah voss hansondavid hardyjames hartm. catherine hartnettjames hayesscott hechtnick hergottkenneth a. herringdavid hickeyangela higginsmicah hobbsrod hoffmandavid holdsworth charnissa holliday-scottcharice holtsclaw lynn hooverstephen p. horn

bill hubbard louis huber, iiimichael hufftpatricia hughesdaniel hyndmandale irwinkathleen a. jeanettamatthew jenningscharlie jensen dorothy jensenjoseph jeppsonmax jevinskynancy jochenskristen ellis johnsonjustin johnstonallen jonesandrew jonesdanna kaisercarol katZerdavid kennerjoyce kerbertyson ketchum teresa kiddyoon k. kim langandrea kimballd. bryant king, iiij. scott kingkurt king david kirkdebra knappryan knipp thomas koehler lloyd koelker christopher korththomas kreamererlene krigeljohn kurtZ amy kutschkathomas lasleylauri laughland phyllis leachkathryn leegary leftridgejack lewisshayla lewis


mary liddlejohn r. losshoward lotven harold lowensteinamy luckmelisa ludemaneliZabeth lynchkay maddenjean maneke gary mardianalan markowitZjustin martinstephen mayerjennifer mcadamryan mcclellandclaire mcclinticrob mcculleywilliam mccollummegan mccurdyelena mcfarlandlara mcinerneydenise mcnabbolivia mcnairryan mcnearneylisa mcwilliamsdana mehrermartin m. meyersjohn millermike millerchris mirakianhumaira mirZajason moehlmanmark molnerjacy moneymakerlee moorejames muellerdavid murdickfrank murphyj. michael murphytim murphy molly nailroger naildouglass nolandjason nonnemakerandrew o’brienvincent o’flahertyjennifer oldvadarmichael r. ongtheresa o’tooletorie ortondana outlawjames overmannathan owingschristina pachecokristen page

tina parsley-hughesteague h. pascoryan pattonlindsay perkinsjim petrie steven petrywilliam d. piedimontekathryn pietarilajohn r. pinklarry pittmanderek pottssusan pratherben prellchristy pulisanna raccugoiatalia ravislinda ray-mckennajennifer reagan aaron reedjessi reedrobert w. richardsjason roachamanda robinsontracy robinsonjason romerojames rosenbloomtom rosZakmegan rothjeffrey royerjohn ryan, jr.arthur salaZarsteve sanders g. mark sappingtontricia scagliaholly s. schaeferdavid schatZwilliam schmidtben schmittstephanie schuttwilliam m. schuttetom schwindtmaureen scullymichael serrahenry c. servicedarren sharpjudith sharp david shaverryan shaw mandy shellmalika simmonsgina simonejohn m. simpson shalanda smithjohn sommer julie somora

shannon sorensenshannon spencedavid spencerjoy springfieldmichael stallworthtoni stegemanamber steinbeckrachel stephensjennifer stevensonjames stilleywilliam stilleyrobert stoppermansteven streen ashley sturgeonmichael sukupemily sullivanlarry swall james swaney susan d. sZcucinski linda h. tabory cassandra l. terhunecara terrellbrian tillema james tippin kelly tobinlaurence tuckerlaura tylerd. paul tysonemily vandeginstejennifer vathmatthew verscheldenmeredyth vickalicia villinescourtney waitsdavid watkinsjohn wattbrian webbbernard weinanddoug wemhoffmegan westbergryan westhoffjerome wheelerwalter wiemanstanley wilkinsbarbara williams edward williamsjohn l. williamsleslie williamsthomas willycharles d. wilson, jr.brent winterberg lindsay l. woodteresa woody philip wrighttracy wrisinger

ernie yarnevich kera yelkinamanda yoderchris yotZeric Ziegenhorn

joplin tina longnecker

st. joseph david bolandersuZanne kissocktom mcbridejane sachsdavid tushaus

warrensburgchris benjaminjohn giorZajames kjarmeryl langetroy losh-northkelly rosecarmen smithshannon sorensenjim worthington

joplin tornado reliefjohnny amnannjohn aZimi-tabriZiron bodinsonpaula brownandy brummellori-burns bucklewsara butlermike cappoandy colemanemma dilllauren douvillemark ellisonkelly footroy frodermanalex gobletcarlyle hall, iiibill haysjoann jacksonchris javillonarkathy jeanettatrevor jenkinsdale johnsonjolie justussharon kennedychuck lanardoian losassorachel mahn

bill martuccirob mccullyjim newsomejennifer oldvaderdennis palmersusan rouchkaeric shimamotokevin smithholly pauling smithst. louis univ. staffclaire terrebonnejohn tynercatalina velardelisa weixelman

volUnteer attorney proJect (continued)


2011 saw the creation of Legal Aid’s Young Professionals Board (YPB). The YPB is a group of professionals, from the law and other professions, that supports the mission of Legal Aid through social events, fund-raising initiatives, and community outreach efforts. The YPB’s goals include increasing awareness of Legal Aid services and effect-ing change in the Kansas City metropolitan area with a fun, unique, and social group of people.

Member Annie Noonen explains why she was attracted to YPB: “It provides me with an opportunity to use my gifts to further the mission of LAWMO. I always thought I’d have to be a lawyer to be involved but, as it turns out, Legal Aid needs advocates from all walks of life.”

The Board offers something for every-one, whether you want to participate in a hands-on community improvement project or use your education and talents to help those in need. Professional development and leadership opportunities are priorities of the group as well.

The YPB was officially introduced on December 6, 2011 at Legal Aid’s Party with a Purpose, held at Boulevard Brew-ing Company.

As the group grows, YPB leaders are tar-geting a wide variety of young profession-als from various occupations and geographic locations around the Kansas City metropoli-tan area.

The YPB welcomes new members of any age and encourages anyone interested in join-ing to visit the Young Professionals Board of Legal Aid of Western Missouri Facebook page or email [email protected] for more information, including membership require-ments and fees.

yoUng Professionals made a big difference

young professionals board members ryan white and chris kurtz mingle at the 2011 party with a purpose. (photo by david r. eulitt)

equal justiceis everyone’s

fight and legal aid is leading the

chargewithin our40-county

service area.


where we workjoplinA staff of six attorneys, three parale-gals, one legal secretary, two private contract attorneys and volunteers provide service to six counties along Missouri’s southwest border. The majority of cases handled by the Joplin office involve vic-tims of abuse seeking Orders of Protection, marriage dissolution, paternity, custody, visitation and support orders. The staff represents clients with public benefits, landlord/tenant and consumer cases. A HUD certified housing counselor serves cli-ents facing foreclosure issues and seeking reverse mortgages.

Many clients present problems beyond the immediate legal issues that brought them to a Legal Aid office. Close partnerships with community agencies enable Legal Aid to help clients address these other issues.

kansas city-central officeThe Central office in downtown Kansas City maintains a staff of 36 attorneys, 15 paralegals, eleven administrative staff two intake specialists and nine legal secretar-ies This location serves clients living in the Kansas City metropolitan community counties of Jackson, Clay and Platte.

The Central office is home to Legal Aid’s Municipal Court Defense Unit. This program is funded by a contract with the City of Kansas City and provides repre-sentation to low-income clients charged with jailable offenses in the City’s municipal courts.

kansas city-west officeKansas City’s Westside community is served by Legal Aid’s bilingual staff located in the office on Southwest Boulevard. The staff includes six attor-neys, four paralegals, a legal secretary and several volunteers. For the past 38 years, this dedicated Legal Aid team has specialized in providing counsel and repre-sentation on issues of immigration, migrant services, economic development, community development and housing.

st. josephSt. Joseph’s staff of ten, which includes six attorneys, three paralegals and one legal secretary, serve the 18-county area of northwest Missouri. The office represents clients in both rural and urban settings. Many of the cases involve family law, including marriage dissolu-tion, custody, guardianship and Orders of Protection. In addition, staff handles cases involving public benefits, consumer law, landlord/tenant and foreclosure, as well as a heavy load of unemployment appeals.

Community involvement plays a key role in the success of the St. Joseph office. Staff members are active in a variety of organizations, committees and task forces that focus on specific issues facing cli-ents, such as homelessness, domestic vio-lence, financial stability, and access to services for those in poverty. The staff also makes presentations regularly at various locations throughout the service area on topics such as landlord-tenant


and public housing law, consumer law, legal protections for victims of domes-tic violence, foreclosure prevention, and legal issues facing senior citizens. As a result, the office has made a broader impact on the client community through increasing case referrals and improved community education.

warrensburg The Warrensburg office serves thirteen rural counties in west central Missouri. The staff consists of four full-time attorneys and three full-time parale-gals. The Warrensburg office handles cases primarily involving consumer law, housing, domestic violence, landlord/

tenant cases, and public benefits issues. The staff maintains a strong presence in the community and works directly with local agencies in several counties. Staff members also make presentations to local groups. To augment its limited resources, the Warrensburg office utilizes private attorneys in each county either through a contract (they are paid a reduced-rate hourly fee by Legal Aid) or through the Volunteer Attorney Project (they donate their time to represent a Legal Aid client).

Marcy sought Legal Aid’s help to protect her three children from their abusive father. She told her Legal Aid attorney that when she filed for the child protec-tive orders, the judge required a $300 guardian ad litem fee deposit at the time of filing in order for the petitioner to get an ex parte order of protection prior to the hearing. Marcy could not afford the $300 fee.

Requiring such a deposit directly violated Missouri statutory law and Marcy’s STOP Grant Legal Aid attorney filed a petition

for a writ with the Missouri Court of Appeals-Western District. The Appeals Court then issued a temporary order restraining the judge from charging the $300 fee in order for the petitioner to obtain an ex parte. The case was eventu-ally disposed of after the judge filed his answer stating that he agreed with Legal Aid’s position. Because of Legal Aid’s efforts, parents of abused children no longer have to pay in order to protect their children.

marcy’s story (helping one family benefits many)

RESPECT FOR OUR CLIENTS’ CONFIDENTIALITY PREVENTS US FROm USING hER REAL NAmE.

where we work (continued)


service area maP

ATCHISONNODAWAY

WORTH

HOLT

GENTRY

DE KALB

ANDREW

MERCER

DAVIESS

HARRISON

GRUNDY

BUCHANANCALDWELL LIVIN

GSTON

PUTNAM

SULLIVAN

LINN

CLINTON

RAYCARROLL

JOHNSON

SALINELAFAYETTE

MORGANBENTON

HENRY

PETTIS

CAMDENST. CLAIR

BATES

McDONALD

HICKORY

VERNON

NEWTON

JASPER

BARTON

PLATTECLAY

JACKSON

CASS

KANSAS CITY OFFICE

ST. JOSEPH OFFICE

WARRENSBURG OFFICE

JOPLIN OFFICE

central kansas city office1125 grand blvd, suite 1900kansas city, mo 64106816-474-6750

westside kansas city office920 southwest blvd.kansas city, mo 64108 816-474-9868

joplin 302 south joplinjoplin, mo 64801417-782-1650/800-492-7095

st. joseph106 south 7th street, 4th fl.st. joseph, mo 64502816-364-2325/800-892-2101

warrensburg305 north holdenpo box 396warrensburg, mo 64093660-747-7101/800-892-2943

while this is a tough economic time for most everyone, our donors and

funders know that it’s an even tougher time for

our clients.


donations & Pledges

pledges & multi-year gifts shook, hardy & bacon l.l.p. (3-year pledge $210,000)the children of beth & ed smith (2-year gift $200,000)polsinelli shughart pc (3-year pledge $168,000)husch blackwell llp (3-year pledge $126,000)stinson morrison hecker llp (3-year pledge $60,000)bryan cave llp (3-year pledge $57,750)humphrey farrington mcclain (5-year pledge $50,000)spencer fane britt & browne llp (3-year pledge $48,000)davis, bethune & jones, l.l.c. (3-year pledge $45,000)seigfreid, bingham, levy, selZer & gee (3-year pledge $30,750)davis, ketchmark, mccreight & ivers pc (5-year pledge $25,000) gilmore & bell, p.c. (3-year pledge $24,750)dst systems, inc. (3-year pledge $15,000)j. michael vaughan (3-year pledge $10,000)goZa & honnold, llc (3-year pledge $7,500)shamberg, johnson & bergman, chartered (3-year pledge $7,500)the mccallister law firm, p.c. (3-year pledge $7,500)erlene & sandy krigel family fund (3-year pledge $5,400)white, allinder, graham & buckley l.l.c. (3-year pledge $5,250)slagle bernard & gorman, p.c. (3-year pledge $4,500)kansas city life insurance company (3-year pledge $3,750)c. patrick mclarney (3-year pledge $3,000)john and ellen aisenbrey (3-year pledge $3,000)peterson & associates pc (3-year pledge $3,000)

popham law firm, p.c. (3-year pledge $3,000)wagstaff & cartmell l.l.p. (2-year pledge $3,000)baker sterchi cowden & rice, l.l.c. (2-year pledge $2,000)redfearn law firm, p.c. (3-year pledge $1,500)sirosmithdickson (3-year pledge $1,500)the law offices of stephen r. bough (3-year pledge $1,500)terence j. thum (3-year pledge $1,000)sherri l. wattenbarger (3-year pledge $750)stan j. sexton (3-year pledge $750)lisa n. gentleman (3-year pledge $300)

2011 law firm, foundation & corporation donationsdonations of $15,000 & above bartimus, frickleton, robertson & gorny, p.c.hallmark cards, inc. legal departmentlathrop & gage, l.c.

donations of $1,000 & aboveallmayer & associates, p.c.dysart taylor lay cotter & mcmonigle, p.c.ensZ & jester, p.c.henning law firm, pcdrs. d. & m. jarosewycZ memorial charitable gift fundlawyers association of kansas citymiller & company, p.c.robb and robb l.l.c.snr denton us llpst. francis xavier-visitation social concerns ministrywyrsch hobbs & mirakian, p.c.

donations of $500 & above badger & levingsburnett & driskill

catholic diocese of jefferson citysandra & kevin checkettsecond presbyterian church

2011 individual donationsdonations of $5,000 & aboveandrew & karen seedianne c. shumaker

donations of $2,000 & abovekaren i. bissetp. john owenmiriam a. pepper & richard halliburtonjudith & kent whittaker

donations of $1,000 & abovewilliam l. allinder & mary darrow sawyerjack & jeanne bangertgalen beaufortkelley carpenter & david r. eulittleanne deshongkevin a. dunnhon. arthur b. federmandawn roe johnsonbarry m. katZsusan kephartgregg f. lombardimissouri barstate of missourimichael j. thompsonmark andrew thornhilljohn e. turnergene e. voigts

donations of $500 & aboveaaron l. aurandtoni hays blackwoodmark brennan & pattie shostakrichard brueningstephen p. deeswillie eppsida pearl fainnancy gargulacharles & jan germanjessica hembreetheresa connors hursh

Legal Aid extends its gratitude to the following firms and individuals who have made pledges or donations to Legal Aid in excess of $500. We are fortunate to have the gener-ous support of such dedicated friends and many others who make our work possible.


in honor of hon. patricia breckenridge byjudge mary russell

in honor of suZanne gladney byjoy fosterstephen m. kirschbaumroger k. mccrummen

in honor of c. patrick mclarney bymadeleine marie mcdonough

in honor of william a. shull, iii byburnett & driskill

in honor of lisa smith bydaniel p baker

in honor of river tempelin byrhoda rosen

in honor of team Z bymaryella karnes

in memory of ella ruth aufranc bykathleen j. dandoy

in memory of william bunch bymichael william hurley

in memory of james conlon bygregg f. lombardi

in memory of cathy connealy bymarcia k. walsh

in memory of w. gladney bymary beth & tom denZer

in memory of mac & ruth jones bysuZanne gladney & alan lubert

in memory of jessica laws byberry f. laws iii

in memory of colleen nunnelly byjames and judy dixonshirley m. dixonsuZanne gladney & alan lubertrichard halliburtonann & brian montgomeryemily l. nunnellyjudith sharpeliZa sundahlmichael j. thompson

in memory of patrick o’brien byrobert p. o’brien

Each year, we receive many heartfelt gifts in memory of loved ones and in honor of family, friends or special occasions. We are pleased and proud to be a part of these special tributes.

2011 tributes

david n. johnsonmr. & mrs. brian kaufmanberry f. laws iiimadeleine marie mcdonoughsamuel mchenrydiane a. nygaard, padouglas r. rushingneil s. saderlonnie j. shaltonrik n. siro & teresa woody

tracy l. smedleyeileen s. sullivaneric tanneranthony m tottalaurence r. tuckersharon & thomas van dykelisa a. weixelmandonald c. wenglerjerome wolf

every attempt has been made to reflect accurately and completely the names of our generous contributors. we apologize for any errors or omissions. space does not permit the listing every contributor, but we value all our donors.

2011 endowment giftsThe Legal Aid of Western Missouri Endowment is a charitable fund at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. The Endowment offers an opportunity to establish a legacy of care and to guarantee access to justice for future generations.

allmayer & associates, p.c.jack & jeanne bangertstephen r. boughthomas m. bradshawchildren of beth & ed smithjames and judy dixonshirley m. dixoneisberg and bordeaucecil claude orear, jr. estate

suZanne gladney & alan lubertrichard halliburtongerald m. handleyhenning law firm, pcstephen m. kirschbaumbob langworthy by george blackwood, trusteenanette k. laughreyjoseph h. locascio

ann & brian montgomeryemily l. nunnellyalbert a. riederersherrill l. rosenterry j. satterleejudith sharpeliZa sundahllisa a. weixelmanscott o. wright

donations & Pledges (continued)


financials

federallegal services corporation - general ............................................................................................. 1,959,986 missouri department of social services - advocates for family health ........................................ 250,000 legal services corporation - disaster funding .................................................................................. 188,333 city of kansas city - abandoned housing project (cdbg funding) ..................................................... 150,045 missouri department of public safety - violence against women act .............................................. 96,704 legal services corporation - migrant................................................................................................... 89,914 mid-america regional council - area agency on aging - legal services ........................................... 52,472 internal revenue service low income taxpayer clinic ........................................................................ 45,000 u.s. department of hud - housing counseling ....................................................................................... 44,247 equal justice works - americorps legal fellowship program - disaster funding............................ 24,718 missouri department of public safety - victims of crime act ........................................................... 23,401 marc - area agency on aging - national caregiver support program ................................................ 21,033 united services community action agency.............................................................................................. 17,082 kansas legal services - migrant subgrant ........................................................................................... 13,119 northwest missouri area agency on aging ............................................................................................. 10,050 missouri department of public safety - violence against women act - recovery act ..................... 5,933 care connection for aging services - area agency on aging................................................................ 5,030 vantage point area agency on aging ....................................................................................................... 3,418 city of st. joseph - emergency shelter grant ..................................................................................... 1,454 sub-total ............................................................................................................................................ 3,001,939

city, county & state ...........................................................................................................................2,307,435

united ways (includes donor designation ............................................................................................. 714,148

i.o.l.t.a. (interest on lawyer trust accounts) ...................................................................................608,874

foundations, churches and other organiZationstruman medical center, inc. - medicaid appeals project .................................................................. 806,933 health care fdn of greater kansas city - children’s mercy hospital ............................................ 295,936 children’s mercy family health partners ........................................................................................... 152,750 st. luke’s hospital of kansas city ....................................................................................................... 122,135 greater kansas city community foundation - disaster funding ......................................................... 100,000 courtney s. turner charitable trust .................................................................................................... 92,870 swope community builders ....................................................................................................................... 71,114 health care fdn of greater kansas city - migrant advocate ........................................................... 70,500 greater kc linc, inc. ................................................................................................................................ 51,119 annie e. casey foundation - disaster funding ...................................................................................... 50,000 shumaker family foundation .................................................................................................................. 50,000 h & r block foundation .......................................................................................................................... 35,000 hall family foundation .......................................................................................................................... 30,000 community foundation of the oZarks - disaster funding ..................................................................... 25,000 kansas university endowment association ............................................................................................. 24,621 women’s foundation of greater kansas city ......................................................................................... 16,000 missouri bar foundation .......................................................................................................................... 12,810 jacob l. and ella c. loose foundation .................................................................................................. 10,000 kansas city metropolitan bar foundation ............................................................................................. 10,000 hispanic development fund ..................................................................................................................... 10,000 american college of trial lawyers - disaster funding ......................................................................... 9,861 dianne c. shumaker fund .......................................................................................................................... 5,000 juvenile court appointments ................................................................................................................... 4,000 veriZon wireless hopeline program ......................................................................................................... 1,500 visitation catholic church - social concerns ministry .......................................................................... 1,000 second presbyterian church ...................................................................................................................... 750 catholic diocese of jefferson city ........................................................................................................... 600 harry s. truman community development corporation .............................................................................. 250 inter-faith community services, inc. ......................................................................................................... 225 sub-total ............................................................................................................................................ 2,059,974

other (fundraising, cy pres and miscellaneous) ................................................................................1,398,164

total revenue ................................................................................................................................... 10,090,534 less contributions / transfers into endowment fund ..................................................................... (324,665)revenue available for operations ................................................................................................. $9,765,869

personnel costssalary - clerical .............................................. 402,863 salary - attorney ........................................... 3,096,968 salary - paralegal ......................................... 1,057,589 salary - administration ..................................... 633,939 fica tax expense ................................................ 376,783 health insurance ................................................ 835,477 disability insurance ............................................. 47,381 workers compensation .......................................... 22,796 unemployment insurance ........................................ 3,352 retirement contribution ..................................... 364,673 retirement plan administration........................... 14,375 sub-total .......................................................... 6,856,196

non-personnel costsaudit ...................................................................... 24,500 data processing ..................................................... 14,155 travel ................................................................... 74,125 rent ..................................................................... 353,992 utilities ................................................................... 6,932 janitorial ................................................................ 2,860 office supplies ..................................................... 84,397 printing .................................................................. 38,747 postage ................................................................. 54,145 equipment maintenance ......................................... 58,842 law library ........................................................... 85,773 equipment rental .................................................. 28,547 malpractice insurance ......................................... 16,554 liability insurance ................................................ 21,166 telephone and communication .............................. 89,336 dues and fees ....................................................... 37,398 training.................................................................. 49,510 litigation ................................................................ 4,043 miscellaneous ...................................................... 144,188 contract services to program .......................... 207,461 contract services to clients ............................. 109,528 fixed asset interest, depreciation, disposal .... 76,452 sub-total .......................................................... 1,582,651

total expenses .............................................. $8,438,847

2011 revenue 2011 expenses

under applicable accounting rules, we are required to recognize funding for future years’ expenses that we received commitments for in 2011 as 2011 revenue. accordingly, the surplus shown in this report includes $1,473,561 in funding which we will spend in 2012. this particularly high number is the result of multi-year grants and one-time funding for our joplin tornado relief work, which we obtained commitments for in 2011, but which we will spend in 2012.


board of trusteesaaron aurandpresident

mischa d. buford-eppsvice president

shauna woody-coussenstreasurer

lisa weixelmansecretary

jack bangerttoni h. blackwooddave bolandermamie colemanlajuana countssharon courterleanne deshongaldo dominguezmary jo drapercarol edwardsjeffrey feuquaymark fosterlisa n. gentlemanwilliam halllinnea hanshawsusan hillchristine hudecbrandy imlaychristopher javillonarjoe mattoxmaxine phillipsandrew seedavid tushaustimothy virgindavid vogelmary ellen youngjennifer mcadam-intern

jfa campaign leadership committeec. patrick mclarney, co-chairjerome t. wolf, co-chairgordon d. gee, co-chairgrant l. davis, co-chairwillie j. epps, jr., co-chair

jack t. bangertjeffrey burnssteve dees

leanne deshongmary jo draper william d. farrarlisa n. gentlemanerlene w. krigeltheresa l. f. levingsj. gary mceachentimothy d. o’learydennis palmerrobert j. payneadam sachsandrew seemark thornhillsen. charles wheelerjudith whittaker

vap advisory boarddwight arnhon. charles atwellstephen boughjaneen devriesed fordtedrick houshamber jeffersdale irwinchristopher javillionarjohn kurtZkatie croninjenny jordan redixwarren wade

legal aid staff

joplin officecynthia aytespam bhendsandra blackfordautumn deerjamie farrilljanice franklinlisa livingston-martinjamie rodrigueZjeffiner thompsonZach tusinger

central office-kclatricia scott adamsmichelle albanokathy anderson-reinkemichele bailey

amanda basribrooke biggslaura bornsteintama byrneskelley carpentercaren collinsmary corwinkatie croninkaren cutliffsara daviseffie daymary beth denZeremily destefanodanielle elam-jobemegan fredericksonchristina frommerlynn fullenkampjuan gomeZ-rodrigueZtracie griddinemindy hancockkara harmsclayton hasservince hayesjames jenkinsjoy joneskaren karnessusan kephartselina khansandy kincaidlisa kivettcarol klinkenbergamanda kovacjulie levincharity lindgrengregg lombardieddie lorenZopat lukenbillpam maysarah mcdonaldsam mchenrysusan mcrilldale meyerlily millerkim morrisjohn navarrejessica ogransara olaZarcrystal pacheco-heckeydj pierremike rinardcynthia rountree

cody russellstacy schaubkim shippjames smithgwen sowderben summerscraig sweeneyriver tempelinclaudia trujillowarren wadelida watsonmaura weberjason werthjennifer wiemankatie woodjane worley

west office-kcerin bartlingmichael duffysuZanne gladneyyolanda hernandeZjohn marrinrobert mcgillkendra mosley ayukron nguyengillian ruddy jeff williams

st. joseph officelinda clarklisa clarktiffany hollonalicia johnsonjohn keiffermelissa lawyerjerre moorejeremy swensondoug tschauder

warrensburg officekelly bartlettkim basingererin darkjacqueline domiansusan hanrahanmolly majkowskiabbie rothermichbill shull

our PeopleOur staff and volunteers are dedicated individuals who share a passion for justice.

a big thank you to shaughnessy paper in lenexa for making our ‘kraft’ paper cover possible.

- Martha

“becaUse i owed back taxes, my home of 34 years was going to besold on the courthoUse stePs. i

was under a lot of stress. i don’t know what i would have done if legal aid had not worked to save my home. it was like they are my friends also. i don’t feel so alone. legal aid was wonderfUl to me.”

a big thank you to shaughnessy paper in lenexa for making our ‘kraft’ paper cover possible.

central office1125 grand blvd, ste 1900kansas city, mo 64106816-474-6750

joplin302 south joplinjoplin, mo 64801417-782-1650/800-492-7095

st. joseph106 south 7th st, 4th floorst. joseph, mo 64502816-364-2325/800-892-2101

warrensburg305 north holdenwarrensburg, mo 64093660-747-7101/800-892-2943

west office920 southwest blvdkansas city, mo 64108 816-474-9868

legal aid of western missouri 2011 annual report

- frederick

“legal aid lawyers Understand People

Problems.”

www.lawmo.org

justice has to come from somewhere, stand for...

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