The Kansas judicial branch awarded $900,000 in Access to Justice Grant funds for fiscal year 2027 to three nonprofit organizations that provide legal or alternative dispute resolution services to indigent and low-income Kansans.

The grant-funded projects help people who cannot afford traditional legal services, including many who represent themselves in court out of necessity.

Abigail Lessman, access to justice program manager for the Kansas judicial branch, says the grants help reduce the justice gap for low-income and self-represented Kansans.

“These grants support projects that help people understand and navigate the court process in civil cases such as family law, debt collection, evictions, and protection orders,” Lessman said. “These projects aim to reduce the negative impact of civil legal issues on individuals and families by helping people resolve matters that could otherwise create barriers to basic needs like stable housing and employment.”

The recipients and their grant awards are:

• Kansas Legal Services was awarded $747,899 to provide services to self-represented litigants and low-income Kansans. Services include legal representation in domestic and civil cases, brief legal advice at courthouse self-help centers for people who don’t have an attorney, a statewide Access to Justice Advice Line service, alternative dispute resolution services, and a guardian ad litem support center.

• Kansas Holistic Defenders was awarded $104,050 to sustain the Douglas County Civil Attorney Project that started in 2023 and to establish the Eviction Defense Rural Access Initiative. These programs provide direct pro bono representation and brief advice to indigent county residents in eviction cases and other civil matters in Douglas and Franklin counties.

• M.A.R.C.H. Inc. was awarded $48,051 to provide pre-mediation coaching sessions and mediation for low-income families with family court involvement. These services will primarily be offered virtually, allowing a statewide reach. M.A.R.C.H. Inc. expanded its service area to include Kansas in 2025. It has offered similar programs in Missouri for 29 years.

For more than 25 years, the Kansas Legislature has funded the Access to Justice Grant awarded by the Kansas Supreme Court. The grant awards are based in part on the geographic reach of services and the number of persons served. Organizations that receive grants use them to provide direct legal representation, brief legal advice and mediation services to the public, as well as support for guardians ad litem.

For more information, visit Access to Justice Grant Applications and Awards at https://www.kscourts.gov/About-the-Courts/Programs/Grant-Programs/FY-2024-Access-to-Justice-Grant-Applications-and-A.