West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) secured federal funding Monday, establishing it as the official nonprofit agency offering legal services to families living below the poverty line in Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Lauderdale counties.
Memphis Area Legal Services lost the federal funding this year, as officials had concerns about its operation. The money comes from Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a nonprofit created by Congress. That money ($940,301) will now go to the WTLS.
“LSC’s top priority is that low-income families in the Memphis service area receive high-quality assistance for their civil legal problems,” said LSC president Ronald Flagg. “We support WTLS’ expansion of services in the Memphis region and look forward to following their progress in providing effective legal services to those in need.”
The group is headquartered in Jackson. It will prioritize cases on access to healthcare, securing or retaining income, securing or retaining shelter, personal freedom and security of abused persons or institutionalized persons, and issues that affect family safety, cohesiveness, and stability.
“Our team is eager to get work providing these crucial services to individuals and families across this region,” said Ashley Holliday, executive director of WTLS. “As we grow, our focus will remain constant: to ensure that people in need have access to justice and the support they deserve.”
WTLS is actively hiring attorneys and paralegals to handle cases involving housing, domestic violence, public benefits, and consumer issues. The organization will also hire a pro bono staff attorney, who will be tasked with coordinating additional support from the private bar.
“Initially, our case volume will be limited as we grow our staff,” said Holliday. “We will increase capacity as we hire and train new team members for our Memphis office. We’ll be adding a pro bono staff attorney to build relationships with the private bar, and we anticipate seeing a significant increase in our pro bono unit’s case volume by 2025.”