Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation

Who we are: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) is the largest nonprofit law firm in Louisiana whose mission is to achieve justice through free civil Legal aid to low-income people by direct casework, advocacy, and community education. SLLS and its predecessor in the New Orleans area, the New Orleans Legal assistance corporation, have been on the frontlines for over 50 years providing a Legal safety net to folks at the times in their lives when they need help the most. In 2003, SLLS merged with nolac to cover 12 parishes. In 2011, SLLS assumed responsibility for civil Legal Services in an additional 10 parishes in the baton rouge and houma area. SLLS has grown to seven offices, serves 22 parishes, and has about 160 employees. What we do: SLLS works daily to protect domestic violence survivors from abuse, represents abused and neglected children in the foster care system, protects elderly consumers from identity theft and consumers from fraud, helps preserve housing for hard-working families, removes barriers to medical care, improves health outcomes, helps people living with disabilities live more stable lives, improves access to employment and education for vulnerable people, and so much more. In 2025, we helped our clients obtain or protect over $35 Million in direct economic benefits. An economic impact study released by the Louisiana bar foundation in 2025 found that for every $1 invested in civil Legal aid, there was a $13.28 return on social investment in short- and long-term impacts and cost savings. Our impact on lives saved through our domestic violence work, families stabilized, and abused children safeguarded through our child-in-need-of-care work is even more important, but difficult to measure. Our pro bono attorneys and volunteer law students provided over 15,000 hours of free civil help in 2025 with a value of over $1 Million. With the generous support of our funders, including the Legal Services corporation, the Louisiana bar foundation, and many more, SLLS handled over 14,000 cases last year for about 25,500 people. We started a number of new initiatives in 2025 to respond to the surge of need for civil Legal aid, including continued expansion of our heir property work, new expungement clinics done in partnership with community organizations, launching a new pro bono initiative in the bayou region, and an expansion of our Legal Services for veterans work. Awards: SLLS and its staff have received numerous awards for our Legal work over the years, including the Louisiana bar foundation's award for outstanding grantee and the greater New Orleans foundation's sustained excellence award. Fifteen SLLS attorneys, the most of any agency, have received the state bar association's career public interest award. Two attorneys have received the national reginald heber smith award from the national Legal aid and defender association, the highest honor a civil Legal aid attorney can receive. In 2023, SLLS and its staff were honored with the 2023 lsba career public interest award, the 2025, SLLS was honored with a vialink eternal flame award, its director received a city business leadership in law award, and a loyola college of law social justice award.