SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH JUSTICE, COMPASSION AND SERVICE
Hellenic Legal Assistance Services—Hel.LAS—is a pro bono legal clinic created to serve low-income members of the Chicago-area Greek community. We connect individuals and families with legal information, referrals and potential representation in an environment that respects their language, culture and individual circumstances.
Our work is made possible by volunteer attorneys, law students, community leaders and partner organizations who believe that financial hardship should not prevent anyone from understanding their rights or seeking access to justice.
OUR STORY
A Community Need Inspired a Community Response
Hel.LAS began with a simple but important question: How can we provide legal support for members of our community who cannot afford an attorney?
Leaders from the Hellenic Bar Association (“HBA”) and the Hellenic Foundation saw that other ethnic communities in the Chicago area had built legal clinics tailored to the cultural and linguistic needs of the people they served. Together, they envisioned a similar resource for Chicago’s Greek community.
That vision became Hellenic Legal Assistance Services (“Hel.LAS”), established through the joint efforts of the Hellenic Foundation, the HBA and a group of committed Chicago attorneys: Eleni Kouimelis, Eleni Katsoulis, Thomas Massouras, Georgia Demeros and the Honorable Anthony Kyriakopoulos, Cook County Circuit Judge. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services provided support from the start.
Since opening our doors in 2016, we have had the honor of helping more than 600 families. We owe much of our success to our volunteer attorneys, who generously donate their time, experience and professional knowledge to serve low-income members of the Greek community. When someone contacts Hel.LAS, we work diligently to connect them with a dedicated volunteer attorney, and every person is treated with dignity, discretion and respect.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Access to Justice
Everyone should have an opportunity to understand their legal rights and seek help, regardless of income.
Cultural Understanding
Language and culture can affect how people experience the legal system. We strive to make the process more understandable and welcoming.
Dignity and Respect
Every person who contacts Hel.LAS deserves to be heard and treated with compassion, professionalism and confidentiality.
Community Service
Our volunteers strengthen the community by sharing their time, knowledge and professional talents with people in need.
OUR LEADERS
ELENI
KOUMELIS
PRESIDENT
HON. ANTHONY C.
KYRIAKOPOULOS
VICE PRESIDENT
TOM
MASSOURAS
TREASURER
