Idaho Legal Aid - Wrap Up
Wrapping up day five. I must admit, I was initially disappointed to have been assigned a project where I would not meet any of the people that would be effected by our work. Luke and I spent all of our time researching and writing a motion. In additional, Luke spent half of his time pouring through thousands of pages of unorganized discovery trying to attach some meaning to it all. While not what we had expected, this process has been an incredible learning experience. I was not one of those law students that shadowed a lawyer prior to coming to law school and I don’t know very many attorneys personally. So my entire perspective has changed as a result of this process. I didn’t get to see the effects of my work, but I know it will at a minimum lighten the burdened load of an already over-burdened legal aid attorney. I think we both learned a great deal about effective researching, and taking a seemingly impossible task and learning how to break it down into small manageable parts.
I also received a wonderful brochure created by Ernesto Sanchez, executive director of Legal Services outlining some of the specifics of the clinic.
Here are some highlights:
In 2006 Legal Servoces was involved in 3498 cases. 34% family law, 21% housing and the remaining 45% covering government benefits, health consumer and migrant and Native American issues.
Legal aid has an informative website at http://idaholegalaid.org/Home/PublicWeb/
Legal Aid has offices in Boise, Caldwell, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Pocatello, and Twin Falls.
Domestic violence legal advice hotline: 1-877-500-2980
Senior legal hotline: 1-866-954-2591; spanish speakers may call toll free 1-866-954-2591
