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Thrive: The Road to 40 Spotlight Legal Aid of Western Missouri Justice in the Halls Program

LISC Greater Kansas City’s annual community development celebration, Thrive, has been a tremendous success over the past four years. Each year, we have paid tribute to deserving individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made our community a more inclusive, resilient, and thriving place to live, work, do business, and raise families.

Legal Aid of Western Missouri has a long legacy of providing legal services for the most vulnerable individuals in our community.  This year is no expectation.  As the global health pandemic continues, Legal Aid remains an advocate for their clients, many of which are experiencing destabilizing events such as job loss and housing instability. 

The Justice in the Halls Program at Legal Aid in Western Missouri was created to help remedy housing issues within Jackson County. Every day, Missourians are denied the basic rights to which they are entitled under the law simply because they can’t afford an attorney. The Justice in the Halls Program provides pro bono legal advice for housing cost burdened tenants facing eviction in Jackson County.  Every Thursday, the attorneys set up a free clinic in the Jackson County Court House where they provide advice for tenants with eviction related issues, helping answering eviction proceedings as well as offering referrals and other resource information.

I am amazed every day by the strength of my clients, their resourcefulness and their ability to get up every day in difficult situations and want to push-back against the systems that are causing harm to them and their community.
— Rachel North, Staff attorney, Justice in the Halls Program
Rachel North, Staff attorney, Justice in the Halls Program
Alicia M. Johnson, Executive Director Legal Aid of Western Missouri
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