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Client Grievance Procedure

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM)

 Pursuant to 45 CFR §1621 – Reviewed and Revised May 2025

 Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) is committed to providing high-quality legal assistance to eligible individuals in accordance with the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) regulations. In compliance with 45 CFR §1621, LSEM has adopted the following grievance procedure for use by applicants for, or clients of, LSEM services who are dissatisfied with the denial of legal assistance or the manner or quality of legal services received.

1. Right to File a Grievance

Any applicant for legal assistance from LSEM has the right to file a grievance if:

• They believe they have been improperly denied service; or
• They believe the services they received from LSEM staff were inadequate, unprofessional, or
otherwise unsatisfactory.

This procedure also applies to clients currently receiving or who have received assistance and are dissatisfied with the quality of legal representation or conduct of the LSEM staff.

2. How to File a Grievance

To file a grievance, you must submit a written complaint to:

Executive Director
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
436 South Saginaw Street, Suite 101
Flint, Michigan 48502

Please include the following:

• Your name and contact information
• The date of the denial or incident
• The office location involved (e.g., Flint or Saginaw)
• The name of the staff member involved (if applicable)
• A detailed description of your concerns

Grievances may also be submitted by email or fax. Contact LSEM for those submission options.

3. Timeframe for Filing a Grievance

Grievances should be submitted within 120 calendar days of the denial of service or the date of the concern regarding service delivery.

Grievances submitted after the 120-day deadline may be declined for review unless good cause for the delay is demonstrated.

4. LSEM’s Response and Review Process

Upon receiving your grievance:

• The Executive Director (or designee) will acknowledge receipt of the grievance in writing within 5 business days.
• The grievance will be investigated thoroughly and objectively.
• You will receive a written response within 30 calendar days from the date the grievance is received.

This response will include:

• A summary of the findings,
• A determination as to whether corrective action is warranted,
• Any proposed resolution.

Unless an appeal is timely filed in accordance with Section 5 below, the matter will be considered concluded and no further action will be taken.

5. Right to Appeal

If you are not satisfied with the written response from the Executive Director, you may appeal to the Grievance Committee of the LSEM Board of Directors.

  • You must submit your written appeal to:

LSEM Board of Directors, Grievance Committee
436 South Saginaw Street, Suite 101
Flint, Michigan 48502

  • Requests for appeal must be made in writing within 45 calendar days of receiving the Executive Director’s response.
  • The Board Grievance Committee will review your appeal and issue a final written decision within 70 calendar days of receiving the appeal.
  • The decision of the Board Grievance Committee will be based solely upon the submitted written complaint and any information obtained by LSEM’s Executive Director during his/her investigation.
  • The appeal process will not affect your ability to continue receiving services, unless a conflict of interest or ethical consideration requires otherwise.
  • Only appeals that are submitted within the timeframe outlined in this section will be considered, unless the delay is excused for good cause. Notice of an untimely appeal will be provided in writing by LSEM’s Executive Director.
  • The decision of the Board Grievance Committee is final and concludes the appeal process.
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6. Recordkeeping and Reporting

LSEM will maintain a written record of all grievances and their resolutions, in accordance with 45 CFR §1621.4. These records will be kept confidential and used to evaluate and improve service delivery. Aggregate data may be submitted to LSC, if required, without disclosing personally identifying information, unless such disclosure is required by law.

If you need assistance completing a grievance or have questions about this process, you may request help from any LSEM staff member or contact the Executive Director’s office directly.