Table of Contents
About Us
Kansas Legal Services: Mission and Overview
Overview of KLS
Kansas Legal Services (KLS) is a statewide non-profit corporation dedicated to helping low-income Kansans meet their basic needs by providing crucial legal and mediation services. As the primary legal aid organization in Kansas, KLS ensures equal access to justice for the most vulnerable citizens.
- → Served more than 18,500 persons across all 105 counties last year.
- → Operates through eleven legal services offices and two mediation offices statewide.
- → Maintains a wide retainer contract system with assistance from the Kansas Bar Association.
Resources:
Non-Discrimination Policy & Grievance Procedure
It is the policy of Kansas Legal Services, Inc., to make no distinction in the provision of legal assistance to eligible persons on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation or any other consideration prohibited by law.
If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination by KLS, you can make a report through the client grievance procedure, described here.
History of KLS
The foundation for KLS was laid during the 1920s and 30s when the American Bar Association first recognized the need for special assistance to the poor. State and local bar associations worked tirelessly to promote legal aid societies, accepting that the pledge of "Equal Justice Under the Law" required access for people with limited resources.
Legal aid societies were officially formed in Topeka, Wichita, and Kansas City in the mid-1960s and 70s. These three groups operated under the Office of Economic Opportunity's Office of Legal Services until 1974, when power transferred to the newly formed Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in 1975.
Despite these changes in administrative authority and funding, the Kansas legal aid societies continued to provide free legal services. In 1977, the Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita societies merged to officially form Kansas Legal Services, Inc.
Last Updated: 10/22/2025
Table of Contents