Hundreds of lawyers across the Hoosier state donated their time and legal advice Monday and it was all to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The free program, now in its tenth year, is called "Talk to a Lawyer Today" and is run by Volunteer Lawyer Network Inc.

Locally, there were plenty of attorneys on hand throughout St. Joseph County to help the less fortunate in the community that don't have the disposable income to hire a lawyer.

"We handle Medicaid and Medicare questions, family law, adoption, divorce, custody issues, child support, really just about anything you can imagine,” director Mary Anderson said.

More than fifty people poured into the St. Joseph County Public Library seeking the free advice. Lawyers from all legal backgrounds met one-on-one with each individual for at least 15 minutes to better educate them of their rights.

"I really think the attorney we talked to was very helpful in telling us about the rights and the wrongs of the legal aspects of what we had questions on,” client Barbara Behnke said.

The organization also sets up pro-bono cases for underprivileged residents. Last year it set a new record of 182 cases in our region alone. However, the poor economy brought budget cuts of 40% this year, slashing staff in half and making for an uncertain future.

"It seems that usually when the need is greatest, our funding seems to be at its worst. So hopefully we will be able to weather this storm and continue services,” Anderson added.

Funding for the program comes from escrow accounts Indiana lawyers are mandated to place case money into. That money makes interest over time but with interest rates significantly lower compared to a few years ago, the need for cuts were paramount.

"I think we're blessed to have people that would help us out because not everybody can afford to be paying an attorney for every little question that they have. So this shows that there are a lot of good people out there that are willing to help and give their time,” Behnke concluded.

Organizers say while these cuts will impact services, the program will continue to hold similar sessions and answer legal questions by phone.

If you have a legal concern you need want answered, just click on the Big Red Bar.