The White House’s Domestic Supplemental Request to Congress includes $21 million in disaster relief for LSC. This is the first time that the White House has included funds for LSC in its request for disaster relief.
LSC begins its podcast, “Talk Justice.” Episodes are released twice a month and feature leaders from the legal community, business and government exploring different aspects of access to justice.
LSC launches task forces on natural disasters and the opioid epidemic. Task force members work to identify access-to-justice barriers and best practices in these areas to help low-income Americans. Other LSC task forces soon follow, focusing on veterans, housing issues and rural communities.
LSC’s Leaders Council is formed to help raise public awareness of the current crisis in legal aid. It consists of high-profile and influential leaders from different industries. Three years later, LSC creates the Emerging Leaders Council, which includes some of the country’s rising leaders.
Reps. Susan Brooks (IN-5) and Joe Kennedy III (MA-4) launch the bipartisan Access to Civil Legal Services Caucus to advocate for civil legal aid programs.
The Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief bill includes $1 million for LSC to provide assistance to low-income people in areas significantly affected by the super storm. Over the next decade, LSC receives increased supplemental funding to support disaster recovery, about $120 million in the past few years including COVID-19 funding.
LSC convenes the Pro Bono Task Force to consider how to effectively increase pro bono involvement by all lawyers. A key recommendation from its final report is the creation of a fund to encourage new ideas for engaging pro bono assistance. A few years later, President Obama signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, which includes $2.5 million for LSC to establish the Pro Bono Innovation Fund. By 2023, the fund had awarded 139 pro bono grants totaling more than $40 million. Other LSC task forces follow, starting in 2018.
John G. Levi's appointment to LSC’s board is confirmed. He goes on to become LSC’s longest-serving board chair.
LSC begins to make forgivable loans to attorneys employed by LSC grantees to help them repay their law school debt. Its Herbert S. Garten Loan Repayment Assistance Program helps grantees recruit and retain qualified attorney staff.
LSC publishes its first Justice Gap Report. The report shows that for every person helped by an LSC-funded organization, another was turned away because of insufficient legal aid resources. Follow-up studies are published in 2009, 2017 and 2022.