Who We Are
Governors State University Legal Clinic
Navigating the legal system alone can be overwhelming. The GovState Legal Clinic is here to help.
The GovState Legal Clinic provides free legal assistance and non-legal resources to low-income Illinois residents who are using the court system without legal representation. Our team of attorneys, social workers, and volunteers work together under the supervision of a licensed attorney and social worker to help clients understand and navigate the legal system with confidence.
The clinic is committed to expanding access to legal services in underrepresented communities across the region.
Mission
The Governors State University Legal Clinic is dedicated to breaking down the structural, social, and economic barriers that prevent underrepresented individuals, families, and communities in the Chicago Southland from accessing the legal system. Through free self-help legal assistance services, we work to address racial and economic injustice and create meaningful, lasting change for the vulnerable populations we serve.
Why We Do It
Why the GovState Legal Clinic Matters
GovState is located in Will County, in the heart of the Chicago Southland, a region of 2.5 million people spread across 62 diverse communities. While the Southland is rich in culture and community, it is also a region grappling with rising poverty and disenfranchisement, particularly among BIPOC populations.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, six Southland cities rank among the top 20 cities in Illinois with the highest rates of poverty, each carrying two to three times the national poverty average of 11.4%:
| City | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|
| Dolton | 22.3% |
| Chicago Heights | 24.2% |
| Riverdale | 26.3% |
| Kankakee | 28.9% |
| Sauk Village | 31.8% |
| Harvey | 32.8% |
Poverty amplifies inequality across every dimension of daily life, including jobs, transportation, childcare, health care, food security, housing, and public safety. For many Southland residents, their zip code alone makes them a target for exploitation and abuse, and a lack of access to legal representation leaves them with nowhere to turn.
Who We Serve
The majority of GovState students live in the Southland. Our student body reflects the diversity and complexity of the communities we serve:
- Age range: 18 to 65
- Adult learners, students 25 and older: 43.5% of the student population
- First-generation college students: 41%
- Pell Grant recipients: more than 50%
- Student racial demographics:
- Black: 38.4%
- White: 32.1%
- Latinx: 14.9%
- Asian: 2.62%
- Two or more races: 2.58%
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.043%
GovState students regularly face legal crises that threaten their ability to stay in school. Our staff work alongside students to connect them with the help they need, because we believe that keeping students enrolled is inseparable from keeping them supported.
Our Commitment
At GovState, we believe justice begins with equity. The GovState Legal Clinic exists to provide free legal assistance to Southland residents who cannot afford legal counsel, because access to justice should never depend on a person's ability to pay.
Founding Director
Phyllis West, PhD
Phyllis West, PhD serves as Director of the Social Justice Initiative at GovState, bringing more than three decades of experience in advocacy, training, case management, and community organizing to her role.
West is a social work educator with expertise in community public health, international service learning, criminal justice, and organizational wellness. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to communities that have historically had limited access to legal and social services.
For the past 14 years, West has focused on training the next generation of social workers and global citizens, equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to create meaningful change in the world.
Attorneys
Aaron J. McLeod, JD, DMin
Aaron J. McLeod, JD, DMin, Licensed Attorney, State of Illinois
Aaron J. McLeod is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois with a practice focused on estate planning, asset protection, real estate transactions, and business law.
Education
McLeod earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he distinguished himself as a Law Opportunity Fellow and a Thurgood Marshall Fellow, and served as Chair of the Alexander G. Clark Chapter of the National Black Law Students Association. During law school, he worked as a graduate assistant in the Office of the Vice President of Student Services and Dean of Students, and as a prosecutor in the Johnson County Attorney's Office in Iowa City, Iowa, where he prosecuted misdemeanor bench and jury trials.
McLeod earned his Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, with a concentration in Leadership, Public Policy, and Community Based Ministry. While at Harvard, McLeod completed a portion of his degree requirements at Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School of Government, and the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
McLeod earned his bachelor's degree in business administration, with a concentration in marketing, from Morehouse College in Atlanta. He spent his junior year studying business at Lancaster University in Lancaster, England. He has completed additional studies at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, Northwestern University, and Hampton University.
Legal Practice
In addition to his work with GovState, McLeod serves as Pastor of Sherman United Methodist Church in Evanston, Ill. His representative legal work includes:
- Serving as defense counsel in complex litigation involving contract disputes, property damage, and wrongful termination
- Serving as general counsel for minority-owned telecommunications and construction companies
- Drafting comprehensive estate plans including trusts, wills, advanced directives, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
- Representing clients in real estate transactions, foreclosure defense, mediation, and short sales
- Incorporating corporations and drafting bylaws, trustee agreements, and successful 501(c)(3) applications
- Drafting employee handbooks and human resource policies for corporations
- Developing comprehensive diversity plans for corporate clients
Community Involvement
- Black Methodists for Church Renewal
- Rainbow PUSH Coalition
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
- Prince Hall Masons
- Shriners International
Robert Sharp Jr.
Robert Sharp Jr., Attorney and Baptist Minister
Robert Sharp Jr. is a Baptist minister and public interest and civil rights attorney dedicated to serving communities that have historically lacked access to legal representation.
Sharp began his legal career in federal court, litigating wrongful death and excessive force lawsuits against law enforcement and Title VII employment discrimination claims against employers. He has also served as a court-appointed attorney in the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County, where he represented juveniles accused of crimes and advocated for the reunification of families affected by allegations of child abuse and neglect.
A Chicago native, Sharp grew up as an only child in a two-parent household in the Englewood community on the city's South Side. He attended Lewis-Champlin Elementary School and Englewood High School.
