LANSING, MI, June 13, 2024 – For the third consecutive year, the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) is accepting applications for its legal self-help center grant program. The program will disburse $500,000 appropriated by the state legislature for Fiscal Year 2025 to expand legal self-help center services across Michigan. The application period ends on July 14.
The Justice for All Commission (JFAC) advocated for resources such as these grants to expand legal assistance and self-help services throughout Michigan as part of its effort to achieve full access to the civil justice system. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian K. Zahra, who serves as JFAC Chair, stated: “Legal self-help centers are extremely effective in meeting people where they are, which makes them essential to ensuring access to justice for everyone.”
For selected grantees, the grant period will commence on October 1, 2024, and conclude on September 30, 2025. Nonprofit and governmental organizations seeking to expand existing self-help centers or establish new ones in Michigan are eligible to apply. The maximum award amount is up to $100,000 for proposals establishing a new self-help center and up to $75,000 for proposals expanding services at existing centers.
The grant program aims to continue awarding funds annually as long as funds remain available. The JFAC hopes to secure increased funding in future years after more data on the usage and utility of self-help centers is collected.
“Our goal is to educate and empower self-help center visitors to more effectively advocate for themselves within the legal system,” said JFAC Vice Chair and Michigan Legal Help Interim Director Nora Ryan.
Legal self-help centers provide various services including legal information, forms, resources, guidance, and referrals. Since the establishment of the first legal self-help center in Michigan in 2002, a total of 26 centers have been established.
The JFAC was created by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2021.
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