Special Projects

Domestic Violence 

The purpose of this project is to help victims successfully escape the cycle of domestic violence and maintain their independence.  Through this project, Legal Aid of Nebraska is able to help victims of domestic violence with numerous legal issues, including obtaining protection orders, divorces, paternity, child custody, child support, child visitation, collection cases, bankruptcy, housing matters, and more.  Legal Aid works together with other advocacy agencies to better provide needed services to victims of domestic violence.  The attorneys on the D.V. Project statewide represent approximately 3,450 women and children a year that would not otherwise be served.  Legal Aid is the only organization devoted to serving the legal needs of indigent domestic violence victims throughout the State of Nebraska.   

Elder Law Program

The Elder Law Program serves twenty-two counties in Northeast Nebraska.  Attorneys travel to senior centers in the service area to provide community education.  Topics include but are not limited to homestead exemption, spousal impoverishment rules under Medicaid, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, power of attorney, wills, and health care planning. Through this Program, Legal Aid provides advice, brief service, and direct representation in such areas as providing durable powers of attorney, wills, and health care directives.

Homeless Assistance 

Under a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant, Legal Aid provides a full-time attorney to work with 25 homeless shelters and transitional living facilities.  The attorney provides advice, brief service, referral and representation to people living in the shelters and facilities that need civil legal assistance.  Substantive legal areas include but are not limited to domestic relations, consumer law, collection defense, public benefits and housing cases Click here for Media Coverage of  the Homeless Assistance Project.

Migrant Worker 

Legal Aid Migrant Worker Project provides free civil legal services to migrant workers in Nebraska by responding to critical legal needs through dedicated, creative, well-trained attorneys and bilingual paralegal staff. Through this project, migrant workers can get information, advice, referrals, and/or the representation they need to resolve the legal barriers that may be preventing them from becoming self-sufficient. Migrant workers can call Legal Aid ’ toll-free AccessLine™ ( 1-877-250-2016 ) from anywhere within Nebraska to access potential services. The AccessLine™ serves as an effective and efficient service delivery system, especially for migrant workers who may live in rural and remote areas. Additionally, “walk in interviews” in the Legal Aid offices will be accommodated due to the access problems this client population faces. A Spanish-speaking paralegal and/or attorney is also available to provide assistance to migrant workers.

Farm Ranch Hotline

An Legal Aid attorney from our Bancroft office provides many services to farm, ranch, and rural families throughout Nebraska.  Through the toll-free Nebraska Farm Hotline, the attorney will provide financial, legal, counseling services and referrals.  The Farm Hotline also offers the No Cost Mental Health Services program, which offers no cost vouchers for confidential mental health services for persons affected by the rural crisis.  The Farm Hotline is sponsored by the Farm Crisis Council of Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska. Another service is farm legal and financial clinics, sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Ag., through this service family farmers and ranchers can get one-on-one advice on financial matters and legal issues.  Clinics are held regularly in Ainsworth, Alliance, Norfolk, Beatrice, Grand Island, Lexington and North Platte.  Legal Aid also offers the Nebraska Farm Mediation Service which provides farm borrowers and their lenders the guidance of a highly skilled impartial mediator to resolve their disputes as an effective, confidential alternative to bankruptcy and potential foreclosure.  Farm borrowers who use the service are offered a free financial planner before the mediation meeting with their lenders.

Private Attorney Involvement 

Pursuant to federal regulation, Legal Aid of Nebraska is required to spend 12.5 % of its LSC grant on Private Bar Involvement.  Under the Private Bar Involvement Program, Legal Aid recruits private attorneys at reduced rates to handle cases in the counties more than two hours driving distance from an Legal Aid office.  This program decreases the time Legal Aid attorneys spend away from cases on long road trips.  The attorneys handle cases in 38 to 64 counties in the State of Nebraska at any given time.  Specifically, the types of cases placed by the Private Bar Involvement Program are generally domestic relations cases where there is custody and/or abuse at issue.

Native American 

The Native American Program provides advice, brief service and representation in Indian Law (treaties and federal law that is uniquely applicable to Native Americans), tribal law and within tribal judicial systems.  Cases include but are not limited to adoptions, child abuse and neglect, child custody, wills, power of attorney, debt collection, illegal evictions, child support, wage claims, wrongful termination of employment, Indian trust income, and probate of an estate.   Through this Program, Legal Aid assists with issues of federal Indian Law, such as the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the Indian Civil Rights Act, and Public Law 280.  The Program is also provides technical assistance in the creation and review of tribal judicial systems and in the creation and revision of tribal codes.  For assistance through our Native American Program please call  1-800-729-9908

Juvenile Court Project 

Through the Juvenile Court Project, Legal Aid provides civil legal aid in Lancaster juvenile courts. Legal Aid attorneys act as Guardian ad Litem - protecting the "legal and social" interests of children who have been abused, neglected, or committed involuntarily. In some cases, Legal Aid represents the parents in protecting their rights.

Community Education Clinics 

Throughout the year Legal Aid of Nebraska offers community education sessions on various legal issues and subjects. Some of the topics covered are divorce, bankruptcy, consumer issues, landlord / tenant, SSI and Income Taxes.  These clinics are generally open to the public.