Legal Services of Eastern Michigan

Counties Served:
Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland,Saginaw

Case Types:
Adoption, Bankruptcy, CED, Consumer, Custody, Dissolution of Marriage, Domestic Violence, Education, Elder Law, Employment, Health, Housing, Individual Rights, Public Benefits, Real Estate, Torts, Wills and Estates

Case Restrictions:
None

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) has its roots in local bar associations providing voluntary services to the poor. Flint established a legal aid society in 1951. With the advent of the War on Poverty in 1965, the federal government funded separate legal aid organizations in Genesee, Saginaw, and Bay-Midland counties. To provide the most efficient and cost effective service to clients, these organizations merged with LSEM. With the formation of the federal Legal Services Corporation and access to expansion grants in the late 1970's, LSEM expanded to include six new counties. The agency's current service area includes: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Lapeer, Midland and Saginaw counties.