January 25, 2019

A nonprofit that provides free legal help to thousands of Vermonters each year has changed its name. Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, Inc. will now be called Legal Services Vermont.

Founded in 1996, Legal Services Vermont (LSV) is the partner agency to Vermont Legal Aid. Together, Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid help people around the state tackle civil legal issues – at no charge. 

“For most of our 22-year history, we have been known as ‘Law Line,’ but our work is much more than telephone-based legal advice,” said Executive Director Sam Abel-Palmer. Legal Services Vermont serves Vermonters through a statewide legal hotline, court-based eviction and debt clinics, web-based legal help, walk-in legal help services, support for people going to court on their own, pro bono referrals, and assistance for seniors and victims of crime. 

“Our new name reflects our commitment to providing a wide range of legal help to Vermonters in need,” Abel-Palmer said.

Legal Services Vermont is Vermont’s statewide grantee of the federal Legal Services Corporation, which supports its work to provide civil legal services to low-income Vermonters. Support also comes in from other state and federal grants and donations. 

Legal Services Vermont’s work focuses on the non-criminal legal issues that confront low-income Vermonters, especially landlord-tenant law, debt collection, bankruptcy, state and federal benefits, domestic violence, and legal issues facing seniors.

On any given day, lawyers and paralegals might help someone get heat back on in their apartment or find emergency housing, help a senior reclaim their lost Social Security benefits, help a battered woman get protective orders from the court, or help a family navigate the eviction or bankruptcy process.

Any resident of Vermont with a civil legal issue can contact our statewide legal hotline at 800-889-2047 to see if they qualify for help from Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid. Our legal help website at VTLawHelp.org offers legal information and a way to apply for services.

LSV's new organizational website is found at https://legalservicesvt.org.