Because women often do not have access to legal services, The Women In The Law Committee of The Mississippi Bar Young Lawyers Division furnishes a 152 page guidebook entitled A Guide To Women's Legal Rights In Mississippi Second Edition. The guidebook is distributed statewide free of charge to women's and children's shelters, rape and domestic violence centers, United Way agencies, victim-witness coordinators and all local libraries.
Topics include: housing, employment, education, finances, public benefits laws, domestic relations, children's issues, health, violence, women and the criminal system, and women and the law. The guidebook is intended to be used by groups and individuals as a resource through community service organizations.
The guidebook can help women recognize whether they have a legal problem and may have to answer general questions such as: What should a homemaker do in the event of a divorce? What are the rights of pregnant women on the job? Can my landlord just lock me out of my apartment?
Printing of the guidebook was made possible in part by an Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program grant of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.
Agencies or shelters that have not received a complimentary copy of the guidebook may request one by sending the written request on the agency's letterhead stationery to The Mississippi Bar, P.O. Box 2168, Jackson, MS 39225-2168. Individuals may obtain a copy by sending a check for $16.00, which includes shipping and handling, to the same address.