By A local office that has been providing select legal services in Aberdeen is hosting a legal forms clinic later this month.
East River Legal Services, which started with an office in Sioux Falls, expanded with an Aberdeen office at The Workshop, 208 S. Main St. in 2021.
The legal forms clinic is at the Aberdeen office on Wednesday, July 24 from 3 to 6 p.m., for those seeking legal assistance or want to meet with an attorney. To guarantee time with an attorney, pre-registration is required at sdlawhelp.org/apply.
Hillary Johnson is a full-time attorney at the office and Leisa Richards, who is originally from Aberdeen, is a part-time attorney.
Leisa Richards
East River Legal Services Aberdeen works closely with organizations in the community such as Safe Harbor and United Way. The goal is to help people who may be facing eviction, seeking custody of their children or be in need of public benefits.
The four areas East River Legal Services focuses on are:
- Housing law
- Family law
- Consumer law
- Public benefits
There is no cost for any of the legal services provided. However, in some instances, there are court costs or other fees the client may be required to pay, Richards said. East River Legal Services has many corporate sponsors that help fund its cause such as United Way and Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.
“We want the community to know that we are here, and we are here to help. All they have to do is make an appointment and we will assist them to our best ability,” Richards said.
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There are certain residency, citizenship and income qualifications for clients, but Richards encourages people to come in and visit with them even if they think they don’t meet those qualifications as there are instances in which they could help.
Josef Khaimov
Adding to the office staff this summer is Josef Khaimov, who is a summer intern through the Rural Summer Legal Corps. Khaimov is a second-year law student at St. John’s School of Law in Queens, N.Y. Khaimov is originally from New York City.
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“I have been learning a lot such as how to interact with clients and supervisors as well as help address the access-to-justice crisis for people living in rural areas,” Khaimov said.
Khaimov is one of 50 law students who are selected for the summer internship program, which places students at various offices across the United States.
Legal services provided to preferred groups
East River Legal Services is a nonprofit civil legal aid office that gives preference to:
- Elderly
- People experiencing homelessness
- Veterans
- LGBTQIA+
- Limited English proficiency
- Victims of violence
- People with disabilities
There isn’t a guarantee a case will be accepted and cases they do not assist with include:
- Criminal
- Immigration
- Personal injury
- Traffic violations
- Malpractice
- Small claims court
For more information on East River Legal Services, visit erlservices.org or call 1-900-952-3015.
News and notes
- Northern State University honors graduate Emily Schumacher was crowned Miss Minnesota 2024 following a three-day competition at Treasure Island Resort & Casino on Friday, June 21. A 2018 graduate, she competed as Miss Mankato, received a $10,000 scholarship and will represent Minnesota in the 2025 Miss America pageant. She performed a tap dance to “Elvis has left the Building” in the talent portion of the competition and her community service initiative, “The Heart of the Matter” focuses on advocating for heart health and heart disease prevention.
- American Band & Trust has added three schools to its spirit card program — Aberdeen Public School District, Roncalli School District and Aberdeen Christian School District. According to a news release from the bank, customers can request the spirit cards, which are debit cards attached to customers checking accounts. When the cards are used for purchases, a percentage of the purchase goes to the school district. To learn more, go to ABT.bank/spirit-cards.
- Staff from the office of U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds will be conducting outreach in Frederick on Wednesday, July 17 from 11 a.m. to noon at Frederick Community Center, 406 Third Ave.
- The Brown County Democrats are hosting a Blue Jeans Barbecue on Sunday, July 28 from noon to 2 p.m. at Wylie Park Bird House, 2306 24th Ave. N.W. The event will include a meet and greet with U.S. House candidate Sheryl Johnson, D-Sioux Falls; District 3 House candidate Erin Rudner, D-Aberdeen; and District 1 House candidate Steve McCleerey, D-Sisseton. Reservations can be made by calling 605-622-0115 or by emailing [email protected].
- A recent donation from Dacotah Bank for Northern State University’s Business and Health Innovation Center will be used toward scholarships, marketing and operational support for the NSU School of Business as well as support of the Northern Innovation and Start-Up Center. The gift also includes naming rights. Dacotah Bank previously announced a $1.8 million donation at the groundbreaking for the Business and Health Innovation Center. Foundation Executive Director Zach Flakus said this announcement details how those funds will be used.
- Jordan Phillips, Central graduate and current student at Duke University, is one of 74 students selected to study and work in Germany as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals program. She will be in German from July 26 through June of 2025. Through this program, Phillips will attend a two-month intensive language course, study at a German University and complete an internship related to public policy.