Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO) announces the appointment of Sara Cherry as the Statewide Reentry Coordinator.  In June 2006, Ms. Cherry began part-time work with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. providing advice and limited services. In January 2008, joined the Tulsa Law Office of Legal Aid full-time working with the Homeless Legal Assistance Project.  Later Ms. Cherry joined LASO’s Family Law litigation team practicing in that area for over 4 years. 

In January 2013, she was named the Coordinator of Legal Services for Women In Recovery, a Family & Children’s Services Program. The Women in Recovery (WIR) program, funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, began in June 2009 as an alternative to incarceration program for women facing significant prison sentences in Tulsa County. WIR offers an alternative to incarceration, combining strict supervision within a comprehensive day treatment format for women who are at least 18 years of age, are involved in the criminal justice system and ineligible for other diversion services or courts, a history of substance abuse and are at imminent risk of incarceration. Sara Cherry joined the WIR Program as an embedded LASO attorney, providing and coordinating greatly needed civil legal services to remove legal barriers for WIR participants as they focus on life, job, family and social skills and reenter our community as productive citizens.

Sara Cherry has been practicing law since 2001.  She received her BA in Philosophy from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1996, her MA in Health and Humanities from Michigan State University in 1998 and her JD from the University of Tulsa.  Since 2001, Sara has worked in private practice, taught paralegals and been a partner at a small firm. 

About Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
Legal Services is a statewide not-for-profit law firm providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income individuals, families and to elderly and disabled persons in the areas of domestic violence, consumer scams, housing, health and employment.  Legal Services attorneys and staff work through a network of 21 fully-staffed law offices and satellite offices, serving eligible clients in all 77 counties of Oklahoma.
    
Funding for Legal Aid is from the Legal Services Corporation, the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, 14 United Way and United Fund organizations and generous attorneys, law firms, foundations, businesses and individuals throughout the state contributing to the Campaign for Justice.

Media Contact:  
Michael Figgins, Executive Director
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
405.488.6768
michael.figgins@laok.org

Sara Cherry, Statewide Reentry Coordinator
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
918.295.9461
sara.cherry@laok.org