LSC Awards $5.4 M for Legal Aid Pro Bono Programs
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Carl Rauscher
Director of Communications and Media Relations
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WASHINGTON—The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is awarding Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF) grants totaling over $5.4 million to 21 legal aid organizations in 14 states. The grants will support projects that expand and improve pro bono legal services for low-income Americans.
Nationally, half of eligible low-income Americans who seek legal aid are turned away because legal services programs lack sufficient resources. Pro bono services are a vital resource that legal aid organizations funded by LSC draw upon to increase their reach, establishing a vital network of volunteers who can help address the unmet needs of people experiencing issues like eviction, job loss, divorce, debt collection, denial of benefits, scams or natural disasters.
“Civil legal problems have serious consequences and accessing a lawyer has a huge impact on the outcome of a person’s case,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “The organizations LSC funds work hard to effectively leverage pro bono services to expand the availability of legal assistance and LSC is glad to support their efforts with these grants.”
Since the PBIF grant program began in 2014, LSC has awarded 161 grants totaling more than $46 million. The funding for these awards comes from LSC’s FY 2024 congressional appropriation. Each organization uses these grants to address critical, unmet civil legal needs in their service area by creating solutions to persistent challenges in pro bono delivery systems or exploring new methods of pro bono service implementation. The funds are directed to grantee efforts that are replicable and scalable so that innovative practices at successful programs can have an impact across the country.
Many of the projects focus on critical legal needs related to housing and family law. Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s grant will support its Lawyers Advocating for Safe Housing project, which engages volunteers to address unsafe living conditions for tenants. Legal Aid of West Virginia will use its funding to better serve the legal needs of grandparents and kinship caregivers raising children through the Solid Foundations Project. Building on past success, the organization will pilot a pro bono project in three areas impacted by the opioid crisis, recruiting and training cohorts of volunteer attorneys to provide full representation in guardianship, adoption and estate planning cases.
California Rural Legal Services (CRLA), Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY), Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP) and Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation (NNJLS) will all use PBIF funding to expand their reentry services and reduce barriers to housing, employment and education.
CRLA’s funding will support the organization’s Central Coast Rural Reentry Project, which partners with pro bono attorneys to offer expungement services to eligible clients. NNJLS will use the grant to significantly reduce the processing time for record clearing. LawNY will expand its reentry program into rural counties in Upstate New York. MAP will increase the capacity of its Legal Navigator Project, which incorporates trained, non-attorney volunteers to help clients through the complex steps of expungement applications. Additionally, NNJLS will strengthen its Clean Record Initiative by enhancing community outreach, Know Your Rights presentations, and pro bono partnerships.
Members of Congress congratulated legal services providers in their states on receiving pro bono grants.
“We must ensure every American has access to a fair justice system, regardless of income or background,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (WV). “Legal Aid of West Virginia provides an essential service to West Virginia families, and I am pleased that they are receiving this well-deserved funding. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to boost Legal Aid of West Virginia’s critical efforts and help low-income families navigate our judicial system.”
“Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) and the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (CVLAS) work hard to make sure that their clients get great services. I know this first hand—my wife Anne was a staff attorney at CVLAS from 1984 until 1998,” said Senator Tim Kaine (VA). “I’m glad the Legal Services Corporation has recognized these outstanding organizations by providing them Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants this year. I know they’ll use this funding to make their work even better.”
Further details about each grant are linked here and more information about the Pro Bono Innovation Fund is available here.