Why Legal Services Matter in Workforce Development
Real-Time Takes
A Policy Blogcast
Legal Services
Behind every job placement is a person navigating complex systems and real-life challenges. In this piece, we speak with Mark Gallagher, Legal Director at Towards Employment, about how legal advocacy, trust-building, and wraparound support help people stay employed and move forward.
December 19, 2025
Interview and article by Gabrielle Fortin
Legal stability is closely tied to employment stability. Legal issues can be a barrier to getting a job and to keeping a job. TE works to address barriers up front where possible, but sometimes, a graduate finally secures a job only to be pulled into the legal system soon after. These challenges can quickly put that hard-won employment at risk. I sat down with Mark Gallagher, Legal Director at Towards Employment, to talk about his role at TE and why access to legal services is a critical part of truly effective wraparound support.
Mark shared how TE helps bridge the gap when legal issues intersect with work. If someone needs to miss a morning for a court date, TE can help explain the situation to an employer. That kind of support can be the difference between keeping a job and losing one. Knowing there’s a legal team in their corner gives people with ongoing cases the chance to stay employed and keep moving forward.
The TE Legal Team focuses on removing the real-life barriers that can stand in the way of employment. While the work often starts with a legal issue, the broader goal is stability: stable housing, financial and economic security, and steady employment. The team supports participants with issues like record sealing and expungement, driver’s license reinstatement, housing and eviction matters, child support adjustments, loans, and other legal challenges that can make it harder to keep or secure a job.
Most of the people Mark works with have previous engagement with the justice system, and many carry negative associations because of those experiences. Mark shared that by leading with time, patience, empathy, and humility, he’s able to build trust with his clients and ultimately provide the support they need.
When I asked Mark about a moment that reaffirmed his passion for the work, he shared a story about a client who had little trust in the justice system. Through their time at TE, that client found success, thanks to both legal support and the broader programmatic work. Mark emphasized that while legal services add clear and critical value to workforce development wraparound services, it’s the full team—career coaches, case managers, and legal staff working together—that truly sets people up for success.
At the end of the day, TE Legal Services offer something essential: an advocate in a complex system, so people can focus on finding, holding and advancing in a job, caring for their families, and moving forward with stability and dignity.
About the Author
Gabrielle Fortin (she/her) is the Policy and Advocacy Associate at Towards Employment, where she began as a Cleveland Foundation Intern in May 2024. She is set to graduate from Case Western Reserve University in 2025 with dual B.A.s in Political Science and International Studies. Gabbi supports the Towards Employment Policy Action Plan, working to advance policies that promote economic mobility and equitable employment opportunities. She is passionate about social justice, community organizing, and loves Cleveland.
Towards Employment
Policy & Advocacy
Towards Employment promotes economic mobility, focusing on those most impacted by systemic racism. We educate and advocate for a more equitable workforce system where racial income gaps have been eliminated and everyone has access to family sustaining wages and quality jobs.
