The William Booth Legal Aid Clinic Celebrates 25 Years of Helping Metro Detroiters
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (Oct. 31, 2019) — The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s William Booth Legal Aid Clinic is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing free legal services to those in need throughout metro Detroit.
In 1994, Robert Dickman had an idea to help people struggling with various legal issues. The private practice lawyer chose The Salvation Army Harbor Light, which today is located at 3737 Lawton in Detroit, to open a free legal clinic to assist individuals completing the detox, residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment program at the facility.
Dickman served as the program’s director until his retirement in 2013.
“The William Booth Legal Aid Clinic dealt exclusively with The Salvation Army and Harbor Light for years,” said Amy Roemer, attorney at law and clinic director for the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic, who took over for Dickman. “From inception until 2007, we took on clients who used Harbor Light’s services, as well as clients from The Salvation Army Corps Community Centers around metro Detroit, who were facing various legal troubles.”
The program has grown significantly since opening 25 years ago. In the beginning, the clinic assisted approximately 140 people per year – and today, the program helps resolve nearly 1,800 legal cases on an annual basis. The William Booth Legal Aid Clinic now accepts anyone in the community needing legal advice with a majority of the cases being landlord-tenant, debt or family-law related issues.
As the only Salvation Army legal aid clinic in the world – The William Booth Legal Aid Clinic takes pride in its determination to help everyone living in poverty who walks through its doors seeking help.
The numbers are staggering – there is less than one half an attorney for every 10,000 Americans living in poverty, and in Michigan alone, more than two million people are living either at or below the poverty line. Many people who are seeking services that require a lawyer, whether filing for divorce or fighting for custody of their kids, cannot afford it – and they need someone who knows the law and has their best interests in mind.
That is why the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic wants to continue its tremendous momentum in the years to come, and plans doing so by:
- Building on a partnership with the Third Judicial Circuit Court in Detroit to offer defendants pro bono legal aid and services;
- Teaching a class at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and;
- Continuing to bring in law students to show them the lasting impact they can make by providing legal aid to those in poverty
“Ultimately, we would love to see our services expand – and have other Salvation Army territories mirror our program to help the impoverished in their areas as well,” said Rebekah White, assistant director for the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic. “The Salvation Army William Booth Legal Aid Clinic continues to educate individuals about the different legal options they have while enduring troubling times during their lives.”
About The Salvation Army
Founded by William and Catherine Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. This past year, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 2,493,786 meals and 573,968 nights of shelter for the homeless. The Salvation Army uses $.87 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army, please call 877-SAL-MICH, or visit us at salmich.org.
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