Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan (NLSM) is dedicated to providing high-quality legal services, mediation (alternative dispute resolution), law-related education, and community outreach to support individuals and families in need. Through proactive, specialized programs, NLSM works to help lift people out of poverty and address the unique needs of vulnerable groups — including youth and the elderly.

In addition, Housing Placement Services are available to assist individuals and families at risk of homelessness, ensuring they have the support they need to secure stable housing.

LEGAL SERVICES OFFERED

Clients may qualify for free or reduced-fee legal assistance in the following areas:
✔ AIDS Law
✔ Bankruptcy (offered on a reduced-fee basis)
✔ Child Welfare
✔ Family Law (including domestic violence, divorce, custody, child support, and visitation)
✔ Wills, Guardianship, and Elder Law
✔ Housing and Utilities
✔ Individual Rights and Juvenile Justice
✔ Social Security (SSI, SSDI) (reduced-fee basis)
✔ Public Benefits (including FIA and Unemployment Compensation)

Until recently, society viewed AIDS care mainly through the lens of medical treatment and prevention. But AIDS has also created a critical legal care crisis. Individuals affected by HIV/AIDS need legal tools like powers of attorney, access to public benefits, and wills to safeguard their rights and futures.
The Legal Advocacy Project (LAP) was created to meet these urgent needs.
People living with HIV frequently experience widespread discrimination — including job loss, loss of medical insurance, and denial of essential benefits — leading to escalating financial hardship and poverty. LAP works to uphold the laws that guarantee HIV-positive individuals the right to fully participate in society. Through LAP, individuals gain the power to make informed, critical decisions about their own lives and futures.

HOW DOES LAP HELP?
LAP provides compassionate, confidential legal assistance through:
✔ Direct, on-site legal representation
✔ Public education
✔ Individual counseling

Key areas of legal support include:

• Income Maintenance Law: Disability benefits, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), unemployment compensation, state disability income.
• Individual Rights Law: Health status disclosure, discrimination in employment, housing, insurance, and health care.
• Probate Law: Wills and estates, living wills, guardianships, powers of attorney, patient advocate forms, and Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders (Note: Pre-arranged adoptions are not handled).

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
LAP provides free legal services to HIV-positive residents of Southeastern Michigan, as well as their families and significant others. No one is excluded based on ability to pay — there are no legal fees for clients.

WHAT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DOES LAP OFFER?

• Client Education Project: Legal rights seminars tailored for HIV-positive individuals.
• AIDS Community Education Project: Public seminars and legal forums to increase community awareness.
• AIDS Youth Education Project: Programs designed for youth (ages 9–21) to help them understand legal issues and support efforts to prevent the further spread of HIV.

WHAT LEGAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED?
LAP covers areas of law specifically related to HIV/AIDS, including:

• Breach of Confidentiality
• Income Maintenance
• Probate Issues
• Powers of Attorney
• Individual Rights and Anti-Discrimination
• Restoration of Social Security Benefits