The Michigan State Bar Foundation was established in 1947 in recognition of the legal profession's responsibilities to the public. Since then, the Foundation has made more than $42 million in grants to support civil legal aid to the poor and improve the administration of justice in Michigan.  The Foundation receives funds for its grant programs from a variety of public and private sources, including private contributions to the Access to Justice Campaign and the Fellows of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.

The Michigan Poverty Law Program (MPLP) is a cooperative effort of Legal Services of South Central Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School.  The program's goals are: to support the advocacy of field programs; to coordinate advocacy for the poor among the local programs; and to assure that a full range of advocacy continues on behalf of the poor. 

MPLP provides state support services to legal services programs and other poverty law advocates throughout Michigan.  MPLP staff work directly with local advocates through regular task force meetings that respond to locally-identified training needs; through frequent publications alerting advocates to legal developments; and through open access to case consultation, co-counseling, or referral for local advocates.