Missouri Department of Social Services
615 E. 13th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-889-2000
Children’s Services Phone: 816-889-2037
East Jackson Office
8800 East 63rd Street
Raytown MO 64133
Children’s Services Phone: 816-325-5988
- Apply for assistance, apply for child support
712 S. Kansas Avenue, Suite 200
Topeka, KS 66603
785-233-2068
- Provides legal services at no or reduced cost to income eligible individuals
4001 Blue Parkway, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64130
816-474-6750
UMKC Law Child & Family Services Clinic
omalleymk@umkc.edu
816-235-6336
The UMKC Child and Family Services Clinic is a free legal service for parents, relatives and custodians needing help to obtain court order to provide permanent homes for children who are victims of abuse or neglect.
Leon E. Bloch Law Library
500 E. 52nd St.
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-235-2271
umkclawprose@umkc.edu
- We are a volunteer-based clinic helping individuals represent themselves on legal issues. The UMKC-LAWMO Self-Help Law Clinic is based in Kansas City, Missouri and can generally assist with civil matters arising out of Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties. Through the UMKC-LAWMO Self-Help Law Clinic, you can speak with a Missouri licensed attorney about your legal problem and receive legal advice and assistance. Also, if the necessary legal forms are available, we may be able to provide them to you. Please know that clinic attorneys can provide legal assistance, but cannot represent you.
- For those seeking legal resources, The Missouri Bar provides:
- Lawyer Search, a free online tool to help you find a lawyer to hire who is in good standing and currently accepting new clients (search by areas of practice or location);
- The Official Missouri Directory of Lawyers, where you confirm if a lawyer is licensed and in good standing with the Supreme Court of Missouri;
- Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org, an online service for low-income Missouri residents to get free legal answers about noncriminal problems from volunteer lawyers; and
- A list of discounted and pro bono legal service providers. Learn more about these resources at http://www.missourilawyershelp.org.
- In addition, the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association (417-831-2783) offers attorney referral services. Individuals seeking legal services in Kansas may utilize the Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service by calling 1-(800) 928-3111.
- Pro Bono Public Service Honors Program
- UMKC recognizes the key role pro bono and public service work plays in shaping the professional values of our students. Thus, we have created the Honors Program. By participating in the voluntary Honors Program, students will receive the benefits of hands-on legal training, the opportunity to develop relationships with lawyers and legal organizations in the community, exposure to various areas of the law and the satisfaction of making a difference in people’s lives. Students who complete the required number of hours for Honors Program completion will also be recognized at graduation.
- For more information on the specifics of the Honors Program, current students should review the Pro Bono Public Service Honors Program Handbook available on CONNECT.
- Oliver Fellowship Program
- The purpose of the Oliver Fellowship Program is to encourage highly qualified UMKC law graduates to pursue post-graduate careers in public service despite the dual disincentives of low salaries and high student debt. Thanks to the generosity of family and friends of Judge John W. Oliver, a leading jurist who served on the federal bench in Kansas City from 1962 until his death in 1990, the Oliver Fellowship Program provides loan repayment assistance (up to $5,000 over three years) to one graduating law student from each class.
- Work in any position in public service, whether civil or criminal, can qualify a graduate for the Oliver Fellowship Program. Prior recipients have obtained positions in death penalty defense, the public defender’s office, the prosecutor’s office, Legal Aid and the Family Court Division of the Jackson County Circuit Court. For more information, current students may review the Program Description and Application available on CONNECT.
- Contact the Career Center for pro bono oopportunities at 816-235-1668 or umkclawcareer@umkc.edu.