Legal Aid of Western Missouri began as the Kansas City Legal Aid Bureau, the first legal aid program established west of the Mississippi. At its inception, in 1910, the legal aid office was an adjunct of the Board of Public Welfare. In the early 1960’s the Kansas City Bar Association undertook a comprehensive survey of the unmet legal needs of the low-income population. It was determined that in order to ensure justice for all, there needed to be a place for poor people to receive free legal services. In 1964, 501 (c)(3) status was established and initial funding was secured from a Ford Foundation grant, the Jackson County Circuit Court and the City of Kansas City.