Our 130 grantees provide life-changing (and in many cases, life-saving) services to low-income Americans in crisis. Every Congressional district in the United States is served by an LSC grantee. Clients live at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines and include:

• Survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
• Veterans.
• Seniors.
• Families with children.
• Survivors of natural disasters.

Comprehensive data about clients served is publicly available in our By the Numbers Report.

Most low-income individuals who are taken to court (or otherwise face legal challenges) cannot afford a lawyer. And unlike in criminal court, there is no right to an attorney in most civil cases (like housing or family issues). Without a lawyer, they do not have a fair shot at telling their story in court. 

Civil legal aid levels the playing field by ensuring that those who cannot afford an attorney have assistance in our complex legal system – similar to the role public defenders have in criminal court.

We operate under multiple restrictions established by Congress. 

These restrictions (e.g., LSC’s grantees cannot lobby, engage in political activity, bring class-action lawsuits, represent most non-citizens, or work on abortion-related cases) are designed to ensure that federal funds are focused solely on providing critical civil legal aid to low-income individuals while avoiding activities that may be seen as partisan.

We follow a multi-level process to ensure grantees are in compliance with regulations and restrictions, including:

• Each grantee is required to submit an independent audit each year.
• Our Office of Compliance and Enforcement conducts regular in-depth financial and operational reviews.
• LSC also has an Office of Inspector General, an independent oversight unit that reports separately to LSC’s Board of Directors, plans and conducts its own audits and investigations, and submits reports directly to Congress. The office operates under the Inspector General Act and maintains its own website.

LSC is led by a bipartisan Board of Directors. Board members are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Our Board is required to be comprised of a roughly equal distribution of Republican and Democratic members with the majority representing the current Administration. 

The majority of our current Board members were appointed by President Trump during his first term in office.

For every $1 spent on civil legal aid, there is a $8 return on investment. 

Our grantees help individuals and families avoid homelessness, access income they have earned (e.g., veterans benefits or social security), and get back to work after serving a sentence by sealing non-violent criminal records. By helping individuals and families maintain stability, LSC grantees help reduce dependence on social safety net programs. Furthermore, by ensuring low-income parties have legal representation, civil legal aid attorneys help court proceedings run faster and smoother, creating efficiencies within the justice system itself.

LSC’s last Congressional reauthorization expired in 1980. Since that time, Congress has continued to fund LSC each year. The increased bipartisan support for LSC is evidenced in the annual letters led by bipartisan members of Congress in both the House and Senate requesting robust funding for legal services. 

We welcome the opportunity for Congress to consider LSC’s reauthorization.

Since LSC’s inception, Congress has placed broad restrictions on LSC-funded political advocacy and lobbying. 

While our Board and senior staff are permitted to lobby Congress for our own funding, our grantees are not permitted to engage in direct or indirect lobbying. We enforce the regulations enacted by Congress, both internally for LSC staff and for grantee activity, as well, as part of our oversight and compliance functions. The LSC Office of Inspector General may also conduct its own reviews of grantees’ compliance with laws and regulations.

In addition to the strict restrictions set forth by Congress that LSC and all grantees are required to abide by, LSC is led by a bipartisan Board of Directors. Each Board member is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Our Board is required to be comprised of a roughly equal distribution of Republican and Democratic members. 

The majority of our current Board members were appointed by President Trump during his first term in office.

Congress has authorized LSC grantees to represent some non-citizens who are survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking. LSC requires grantees to review and document evidence of the eligibility status of every client served. Our team reviews these records regularly to ensure compliance with this requirement. 

If any grantee is found to have violated these restrictions, LSC takes enforcement actions, which are public.

There are other legal services organizations (not funded by LSC) that do provide representation to undocumented migrants. To increase transparency, since 1997, LSC has required all grantees to maintain objective integrity and independence from any entity engaging in LSC-restricted work, including the representation of undocumented individuals.

LSC takes seriously any concerns raised about the use of taxpayer dollars. More than 94% of LSC’s budget goes directly to grantees who provide direct services to the American people. 

Additionally, our extensive oversight processes monitor and enforce compliance with all our grantees. In addition, an independent Inspector General may separately assess LSC’s and grantees’ adherence to laws and Congressional requirements and make recommendations for corrective action if appropriate. The Inspector General also oversees a required annual, independent audit of LSC’s financial statements, as well as operates a nationwide hotline to take in and review allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse. For those wanting to learn more, our financial records are transparent and available to the public.

As an additional oversight mechanism, each LSC grantee is required by federal law to have an annual financial statement audit, conducted by an independent public accountant (IPA). The LSC OIG oversees the process, reviews the findings, and makes referrals to LSC management for action. LSC management carefully reviews OIG referrals and takes enforcement actions as appropriate.

The federal government provides less than 20% of legal aid funding, while states and private philanthropy provide the rest. Even with all the funding that currently exists, our grantees still only have enough resources to serve one in two clients who apply for assistance. 

No state funding or programs could replace LSC funds.