2011-2012 Grants

At its April 8 meeting the LBF Board of Directors awarded more than 2.8 million in grants to rganizations that provide free legal aid to women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, the newly unemployed, those facing loss of their homes and those in need of guidance to secure food stamps.

Below is a brief summary of the services provided by the LBF grantees. Office locations, if available, are in parentheses.

View the grantees by funding category.

Acadiana Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) is a private, non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance in civil cases to low-income individuals in the southwest and central regions of Louisiana. ALSC provides services in a variety of areas of law, including consumer, education, family, juvenile, health, housing and public benefits. (Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles)

AIDSLaw of Louisiana provides free legal assistance to low-income persons living with HIV and AIDS. AIDSLaw provides services in the areas of personal and estate planning, successions, family law, notarial services, consumer law, privacy law and public benefits. (Baton Rouge and New Orleans)

Arts Council of New Orleans' Entertainment Law Legal Assistance Project (ELLA) offers pro-bono legal assistance to low-income artists musicians and grass roots non-profits in Louisiana. ELLA provides assistance with copyright and intellectual property, business incorporation, non-profit incorporation, contract review, contract disputes and other civil law matters. ELLA is partnership between the Arts Council, Tipitina's and Tulane Law School. (New Orleans)

Baton Rouge Bar Foundation offers a variety of programming for the public, including coordination of free legal services for the poor, law-related education events for children and the public and a teen court for first-time misdemeanor offenders. (Baton Rouge)

Baton Rouge Children's Advocacy Center (BRCAC) will use the funding to develop and improve the BRCAC's Multi-Disciplinary Team. (Baton Rouge)

Beauregard Community Concerns - June Jenkins Women's Shelter provides housing, counseling and brief legal services to victims of domestic violence in Beauregard and Vernon Parishes. (DeRidder and Leesville)

Calcasieu Women's Shelter, Inc. provides a variety of services to victims of domestic violence in Allen, Calcasieu, and Cameron Parishes. These services include shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, job training, adult education and childcare. (Lake Charles, Allen and Cameron)

Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center (CAFVIC) provides a variety of services to victims of domestic violence in a seven parish area surrounding Baton Rouge. CAFVIC offers shelter, legal services, education and children's services at both its main office and outreach offices. (Baton Rouge)

CASA of SoLA supports volunteers in Acadia, Lafayette and Vermillion Parishes who advocate in court for the best interests of children who have been abused and neglected. (Lafayette)

CASA of St. Landry supports volunteers in the 27th judicial district parish of St. Landry who advocate in court for the best interests of children who have been abused and neglected. (Opelousas)

Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge - Immigration Legal Services provides free legal services to immigrants and refugees across Louisiana. A staff attorney and small staff represent clients before U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Their services focus primarily on removal and detention issues. (Baton Rouge)

Catholic Charities of New Orleans - Project SAVE provides free, emergency legal representation to survivors of domestic violence in Orleans Parish. Staff attorneys help with legal orders to keep survivors safe and to protect their legal rights. Project SAVE's legal services may include temporary restraining and protection orders, temporary child support, custody and use of property. Immigration Legal Services provides services targeted to immigrants and refugees. (New Orleans)

Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project coordinates the provision of free legal services to low-income people in Avoyelles, Rapides and Vernon Parishes. The Project recruits volunteer attorneys to handle cases referred by Central Louisiana Legal Services. The Project also organizes free legal advice clinics in the community where volunteer attorneys answer questions and provide general information concerning various legal matters. (Alexandria)

Chez Hope, Inc. provides a variety of services to victims of domestic violence in St. Mary, Lafourche and Assumption Parishes. Chez Hope offers shelter, legal services, education and children's services at both its offices. (Franklin and Thibodaux)

Children's Advocacy Centers of Louisiana supports the development, growth, communication between, and continuation of quality children's advocacy in the state of Louisiana. The fifteen state-wide centers provide specialized child friendly forensic interviews and coordination of services for victims of severe physical and child sexual abuse. (Statewide)

Common Ground Relief, Inc. is a grassroots, volunteer based, outcome-orientated organization. CGR aims to provide short term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the gulf coast region and long term support in rebuilding the communities affected in the New Orleans area. (New Orleans)

D.A.R.T. of Lincoln provides shelter, legal services, education and children's services to victims of domestic violence. (Lincoln, Jackson, Union, Bienville and Claiborne Parishes)

The Extra Mile, Region IV, Inc. exists to enhance and enrich the quality of life for all persons served by the State of Louisiana by mobilizing people and resources in the community. (Lafayette)

Faith House, Inc. provides a multitude of services to victims of domestic violence in Acadia, Evangeline, Lafayette, St. Landry and Vermillion Parishes. These services include shelter, counseling and legal services. The program's legal advocate assists with protective orders, sets up victim notification systems and advocates on behalf of survivors with the justice system. They also provides domestic violence education to law enforcement, judges, attorneys, hearing officers and clerk of court employees. (Lafayette)

Family Counseling Agency - Turning Point Battered Women's Program provides services to victims of domestic violence in Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Rapides and Winn Parishes. The program has a 38-bed shelter and offers counseling, life-skill education, children's services and legal advocacy. (Alexandria)

The Haven works to establish a community-based response to interpersonal and family violence through advocacy, education, prevention, resource development and treatment. The Haven operates an 18-bed shelter in Houma and runs a legal advocacy program that assists victims of domestic violence in navigating the restraining order process. (Houma)

Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO) represents indigent, innocent prisoners serving life sentences across Louisiana and assists them with their transition into life outside prison after their exoneration. By identifying and remedying cases and causes of wrongful conviction, IPNO holds the criminal justice system accountable for its mistakes, raises awareness of systemic problems and promotes best practices throughout the criminal process to prevent future miscarriages of justice. (New Orleans)

Jeff Davis Communities Against Domestic Abuse, Inc. is a domestic violence program serving the rural Jefferson Davis Parish. The program's services include a legal advocacy component, which assists survivors of domestic violence with filling out temporary restraining orders, supports them during court appearances and helps with referrals to attorneys for more advanced legal matters. (Jennings)

Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana works to transform the juvenile justice system into one that builds on the strengths of young people, families and communities to ensure children are given the opportunities to grow and thrive. (New Orleans)

Juvenile Regional Services (JRS) is a nonprofit law office dedicated to holistic representation of at-risk and targeted youth in the juvenile justice system. As part of its holistic and child-centered approach to juvenile representation, JRS also provides collateral representation in areas of education, health and housing law. (New Orleans)

Lafayette Parish Bar Foundation utilizes its Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers pro bono program to ensure that access to justice is available to low-income residents in Lafayette Parish. The Foundation also maintains a law library where pro se litigants can access information relevant to their legal matters. (Lafayette)

Legal Services of North Louisiana (LSNL) is a private, non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance in civil cases to low-income individuals in the central and northern regions of Louisiana. LSNL provides services in a variety of areas of law, including consumer, education, family, juvenile, health, housing and public benefits. (Monroe, Natchitoches and Shreveport)

Louis A. Martinet Foundation offers two engaging curricula for high school students to promote civic literacy by treating the public school as a crucial democratic institution distributing rights and responsibilities to students, parents and teachers; and exposes them to the criminal and juvenile justice systems, challenging them to think critically about how society deals with the problems of crime and punishes young people. (Baton Rouge)

Louisiana CASA Association promotes the network of Louisiana's local CASA programs, the Association serves its members through well-planned, relevant activities that carry forward the united mission of finding safe, permanent families for the children they serve. (Baton Rouge)

Louisiana Center for Law & Civic Education is a statewide organization that coordinates, implements and develops legal and civic education programs, trains educators in the delivery of these programs and assists with their implementation. (New Orleans)

Louisiana State Bar Association - Young Lawyers Section coordinates two of Louisiana's most popular law-related education programs: the Mock Trial Competition and the High School Essay Contest. (New Orleans)

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law will use their funding for their Workplace Justice Project. The WJP's mission is to educate, litigate and advocate for non-English speaking workers to ensure they are not taken advantage of. (New Orleans) DENNETTE-not sure what to write for this one Metropolitan Center for Women and Children serves survivors of domestic violence in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Charles, St. James and St. John Parishes. Metro provides direct legal services to survivors, works closely with the Clerks of Courts and assists battered women with filing protective orders in all five parishes. (Jefferson)

New Start Center provides safety measures and support to the victims of abuse through a variety of services, including assistance in filing temporary restraining orders, protective orders, counseling, temporary safe housing and transportation. New Start Center also educates the community about domestic violence awareness and about the impact of domestic violence on the family. (St. Martinville)

The People's Advocate is a collaborative foundation created to promote civil rights and social justice as well as to advocate for the rehabilitation and healing of children caught in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The People's advocate also works to end violence against women, children and animals, fight for environmental justice and reduce exposure to toxic pollutants, and also to keep families together by helping to find legal and social solutions to immigration issues impeding family unity. (Lake Charles)

The Pro Bono Project utilizes volunteer attorneys from across southeast Louisiana to provide free civil legal services to the poor in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The Pro Bono Project provides services in areas of law ranging from employment, housing, public benefits, family and consumer law. (New Orleans)

Project Celebration - Taylor House Domestic Violence Shelter serves survivors of domestic violence in DeSoto and Sabine Parishes. The program provides shelter, legal advocacy and other services in these two rural parishes. (Many)

Providence House works to end homelessness by helping families with children gain the resources necessary to move permanently into independent living. The organization offers victims services including a 24 hour crisis hotline, emergency safe shelter, housing for up to 2 years for families that qualify, safety planning, protective orders, support groups, and training for jobs and life skills. (Shreveport)

Rapides Children's Advocacy Center works to lessen the trauma experienced by child abuse victims as allegations are investigated and to provide support for the child victim in any resulting proceedings within the criminal justice system. (Alexandria)

Resurrection After Exoneration is a new organization addressing the challenges of life after exoneration with a comprehensive plan for reentry and renewal. (New Orleans)

Safe Harbor, Inc. provides shelter and a variety of other services to victims of domestic violence in St. Tammany and Washington Parishes. Safe Harbor's legal outreach program assists women with the preparation of petitions for temporary restraining orders and protective orders and provides court escort for hearings. (Covington and Slidell)

Safety Net for Abused Persons (SNAP) serves battered women and their children in Iberia Parish. SNAP provides safe shelter and extensive supportive services in its confidentially located 22-bed facility. SNAP provides legal advocacy for victims and educational workshops and seminars in the community. (New Iberia)

Shreveport Bar Foundation will use their funding for their Pro Bono Project, which provides free legal assistance through volunteer attorneys to low-income and indigent residents of Caddo and Bossier Parishes in both civil and juvenile matters. In addition, the Shreveport Bar Foundation Pro Bono Project offers educational presentations on law-related issues to the general public. (Shreveport)

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) is a private, non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance in civil cases to low-income individuals in southeast Louisiana. SLLS provides services in a variety of areas of law, including consumer, education, family, juvenile, health, housing, wills and public benefits. (Covington, Hammond, Marrero and New Orleans)

Southeast Spouse Abuse Program is a family violence prevention and intervention agency assisting survivors of domestic violence and their dependent children, serving Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena and Washington Parishes. (Hammond)

Southwest Louisiana Bar Foundation serves to foster confidence in the law, lawyers and the judiciary and encourages altruism among the legal profession and the general public. The Foundation supports worthy causes of a charitable nature related to the legal profession and helps to remove barriers and will provide access to the justice system to all individuals. (Lake Charles)

St. Bernard Parish Battered Women's Program serves victims of domestic violence in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. The program offers a wide variety of services, including a 50-bed shelter and a legal advocacy program, which assists victims with completing the petitions for protective orders, educates them on the cycle of abuse, informs them of their rights under the Crime Victim's Reparation Act and accompanies them to court for their hearing. (St. Bernard) St. Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide help, healing, and hope to survivors (and/or their family members) of sexual trauma and violent crimes by offering them localized short-term intervention services. The organization also promotes sharing resources among fellow organizations and agencies to effectively meet the needs of its communities. (Opelousas)

Training, Education and Mediation for Students (TEAMS) serves juveniles in need of education advocacy services in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. TEAMS has court appointed education advocates on staff to serve students who are at risk of becoming involved with the court system or who are already involved with the courts. These advocates ensure that the special education and mental health rights of these young people are honored both by schools and the justice system. (Shreveport)

Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic provides holistic services to survivors of domestic violence and fills important gaps in the existing legal services in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. The Clinic provides comprehensive civil legal services to the underserved population of Orleans Jefferson Parishes for an array of legal issues. These issues include contested child custody disputes, child support enforcement, public benefits, and housing issues. The Clinic also trains law students for careers in domestic violence law. (New Orleans)

Volunteers for Youth Justice provides intervention services to children involved in the juvenile court system. VYJ's Jumpstart program provides educational workshops in a support group setting utilizing volunteer facilitators to address the needs of at-risk youth. Jumpstart offers youths an opportunity to be held accountable for their offense, while also learning how to make positive life choices. (Shreveport)

The Wellspring Alliance for Families works to strengthen the family and individuals through direct service, education, advocacy and women's leadership. The Wellspring's domestic violence program provides safe shelter, a crisis hotline and legal advocacy for victims in the northeast corner of Louisiana. The Wellspring is an active partner of the Family Justice Center in Monroe, which is a multi-agency collaboration between legal services, social services and law enforcement that provides a coordinated response to the needs of victims of domestic violence. (Monroe)

The Whistle Stop was founded in 2003 by a group of attorneys and concerned citizens under the guidance of the 14th JDC Family Court judges in response to the need for a supervised visitation center in Lake Charles. The Whistle Stop provides a safe, home-like environment for children to interact with their non-custodial parents. (Lake Charles)

Women Outreaching Women helps domestic violence victims in Livingston Parish acquire holistic legal services. The organization assists battered women in obtaining temporary restraining orders, provides court accompaniment and legal aid referrals, and provides safety planning for victims of domestic violence. (Chalmette)

Youth Service Bureau of St. Tammany provides advocacy, counseling, education and intervention for at-risk youth and their families, helping them reach their full potential. The program includes courses for young people already involved in the criminal justice system and outreach to more general audiences, like schools. (Bogalusa, Covington, Franklinton and Slidell)