Legal Aid Society opens new office in West Louisville at Goodwill Opportunity Center
Volunteer attorney Bart Greenwald (Duncan Galloway Greenwald) assisting a client at the March 20th Expungement Clinic.
Legal Aid Society’s new Louisville neighborhood office at the new Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Center is now open to the public. Located at 2820 W. Broadway, Ste. 300, Legal Aid’s West Louisville office will be a full-service site for Louisvillians seeking civil legal services. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 4 PM.
The grand opening celebration, held on Wednesday, March 20th, featured an expungement clinic, with assistance from 12 volunteers from the private bar, including in-house attorneys from Humana, Inc. Over 85 Kentuckians received legal assistance with an expungement during the 4-hour clinic. Kentucky’s expungement law is one of the most progressive in the nation, having recently expanded eligible charges.
“The number one reason people seek an expungement is for a better job,” says Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Society, John Young. “Yesterday’s expungement clinic embodies the spirit of what we are hoping to do here at our new West Louisville office. Our goal is to remove barriers to justice. Often, these barriers prevent our clients from seeking better employment, maintaining housing, or stabilizing their families.”
Volunteer attorney Felix Sharpe (Humana) and Legal Aid Advocacy Director Melissa Weinstein discussing an issue at the March 20th expungement clinic.
“Legal Aid is Louisville’s law firm and we are proud to open our West Louisville office in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky,” says Board Chair, Bart Greenwald. “The law can seem intimidating for many, but it is also an incredibly powerful tool. By centering our work within communities, our goal is to build trust, grow partnerships, and pursue justice for those who need us the most.”
The West Louisville office will house Legal Aid’s new Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (funded through Equal Justice Works, the Louisville Bar Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Louisville’s Safety & Healing Fund). “The Violence Intervention and Prevention Program provides technical assistance to groups working to address the root causes of community violence in West Louisville and direct civil legal counsel and representation to low-income survivors of crime,” says Executive Director, Jefferson Coulter. The team can help with:
Crime Victim Rights and Compensation
Probate issues and vital records issues
Expungements
Eviction defense
Victim advocacy in court
Legal support for groups working to interrupt community violence
Other civil legal needs of victims.
Additionally, the West Louisville office will provide assistance with all other matters that fall within Legal Aid’s priorities. A full list of Legal Aid priorities can be found here: https://yourlegalaid.org/what-we-do.
Legal Aid Society operates two additional offices. The main office is located at 300 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Ste. 300, Louisville, KY 40202 and is open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Legal Aid’s Shelby County Office is located at 203 Alpine Drive, Shelbyville, KY 40065 and is open Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 4 PM.