The Difference One Day Makes - 2012

Thursday, April 5th … The phones started ringing early at legal aid agencies across Arizona and kept ringing: 638 Arizona families were calling out for legal help on this one day. This total is a 132% increase over last year's "Difference One Day Makes" count. 

In honor of Governor Jan Brewer's proclamation declaring April "Access to Justice Month", Arizona's three legal aid agencies organized a "What a Difference a Day Makes" campaign to bring attention to the importance of and need for access to legal resources and assistance.   For 24 hours, Community Legal Services, DNA People's Legal Services and Southern Arizona Legal Aid tracked the activity related to individuals seeking assistance for crisis that only legal expertise can resolve.  That Thursday, Arizona's legal aid organizations made an enormous difference:

• In the lives of 454 individuals and families that had legal questions answered
• With the assistance of 65 volunteer attorneys donating their time and expertise free of charge
• With 13 legal clinics offered

Each day, the legal aid agencies across Arizona, are making a difference in the lives of those they serve and the communities where they live. These unsung heroes should be thanked . . . but you best send a note, because their phone lines will be busy with helping the next person in need.

In 2011:

Community Legal Services, DNA People's Legal Services and Southern Arizona Legal Aid provided legal assistance and closed 15,846 cases helping over 37,000 individuals.

Legal assistance was provided to Arizonans in each of the state's 15 Counties and Arizona's 21 Native American tribes. Community Legal Services, DNA People's Legal Services and Southern Arizona Legal Aid provide legal assistance in various areas of law, including: family law with an emphasis on eliminative domestic violence, consumer, employment, housing and mortgage foreclosure,  individual rights, health/medical related, and public benefit (access to government benefits such as unemployment insurance and social security disability benefits).