Legal Services Corporation (LSC) – Voices for Civil Justice

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http://www.lsc.gov/

Primary geographic focus: NATIONAL
Organization type(s): Funder
Acronym or short name: LSC
Tags: Funding: Federal

CONTENT FROM THIS SOURCE

News Story , Video

LSC 2014 Congressional Briefing – Litigants Without Lawyers: Equal Justice Under Threat in State Courts

James J. Sandman, Nathan L. Hecht, Jess H. Dickinson, Janice Holder, Carol W. Hunstein
Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
May 21, 2014
LSC hosted a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill. Four state supreme court justices discussed the growing problem of unrepresented litigants and its impact on the court-system.

News Story

LSC President Sandman Appointed to D.C. Access to Justice Commission

Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
May 29, 2014
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has appointed Legal Services Corporation (LSC) President James J. Sandman to the D.C. Access to Justice Commission.

CONTENT MENTIONING/INVOLVING THIS SOURCE

News Story

Trump Budget Draft Targets Cops, Crime Victims

Marshall Project
January 19, 2017
Also civil rights enforcement and legal aid for the poor.

News Story

Trump Team Considering Cuts to Federal Violence Against Women Program

Lucy Westcott
Newsweek
January 19, 2017
Proposals to gut civil legal aid would deliver a devastating blow to Americans of all backgrounds and to our justice system.

Interview

Fretting about the Trump effect on legal aid

Claire Bushey
Crain’s Chicago Business
January 20, 2017
One organization that could be on the block is the Legal Services Corporation, which funds legal aid programs across the country.

Op-Ed

Hands off Chicago’s legal aid funding

Bob Glaves, Chuck Smith
Crain’s Chicago Business
January 27, 2017
No principle is more fundamental to who we are as Americans than our nation's promise of justice for all.

News Story

Trump’s first budget would end program to help low-income Americans get lawyers

Alan Pyke
ThinkProgress
February 20, 2017
A small, efficient, 40-year-old program to provide legal aid to middle- and low-income clients in civil proceedings is facing the budget ax, according to a New York Times report on the early stages of the Trump administration’s internal budget planning.

News Story

Draft of first Trump budget would cut legal aid for millions of poor Americans

Tom McCarthy
Guardian
February 21, 2017
Draft proposes elimination of Legal Services Corporation, which provides free legal assistance to low-income people, victims of domestic violence and others.

News Story

Federal cuts would target civil legal aid for poor

Kate Giammarise
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 27, 2017
Funds for low-income people seeking legal help in civil cases — such as those involving domestic violence protection from abuse orders, child custody issues, evictions, mortgage foreclosures — could potentially become scarcer.

Op-Ed

The Trump budget: Keep civil legal aid off the chopping block

Robert K. Vischer
Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)
February 28, 2017
This aligns well with the administration's priorities. To paraphrase Trump, when only the rich can afford a lawyer, the system is rigged.

Column

The Single Worst Thing Trump’s Budget Could Do to Our Justice System

Jenna Greene
ALM
February 27, 2017
At a time when the ACLU is raking in donations and basking in high-profile love, the Legal Services Corp. is like the mousy, overlooked sister—not nearly so glamorous, but doing work that is absolutely essential.

Audio , News Story

Possible Cuts in Washington Could Have Negative Impact on State’s Most Vulnerable Disaster Survivors

Thelisha Eaddy
South Carolina Public Radio
March 5, 2017
Potential budget cuts in Washington has the firm concerned the work it provides, to help the state's most vulnerable residents recover from disasters and navigate the legal system, could also be cut.

Op-Ed

Dick Thornburgh: Ensuring justice for all with legal aid

Dick Thornburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
March 5, 2017
Legal aid services are a lifeline for many, and essential to our system of justice.

News Story

Law Firms Urge Trump Administration Not to Cut Funding for Legal-Aid Agency

Sara Randazzo
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
March 9, 2017
Akin Gump, Paul Weiss and others say cuts to Legal Services Corp.’s budget would affect their ability to provide free legal counsel.

News Story

Lawyers fear Trump may kill legal aid funding for the poor

Jeanne Sahidi
CNN Money
March 9, 2017
More than 150 law firms across the country sent a letter to White House budget director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday, urging him not to propose the elimination of federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

News Story

More Than 150 Law Firm Leaders Urge Govt to Continue Funding of Legal Services

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
ALM
March 9, 2017
Leaders of more than 150 U.S. law firms with offices in all 50 states sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget Thursday, urging it to continue funding the Legal Services Corp.

News Story

Trump Budget Plan Would Have ‘Devastating Impact’ On Legal Services For NYC’s Poor

Nathan Tempey
Gothamist (NYC)
March 10, 2017
An item in a preliminary Trump administration budget plan would, if implemented, hobble one of New York City's main providers of legal representation to poor people, and gut other legal services offices across New York state and the country.

Blog Post , Editorial

Where’s LSC’s Funding? 150 Big Law Firms and 134 Nonprofits Want to Know

Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ)
March 10, 2017
LSC began to sound the alarm among its partners, which include many high-powered law firms that provide pro bono services in conjunction with them. They were already organized to respond.

News Story

Trump Budget Would Gut Legal Aid For Veterans, Domestic Abuse Victims And Disaster Survivors

Ryan Reilly
Huffington Post
March 16, 2017
If the Trump administration gets its way, the Legal Services Corporation is getting the axe.

News Story

Trump takes a gamble in cutting programs his base relies on

Michael D. Shear
Alaska Dispatch News (formerly Anchorage Daily News)
March 16, 2017
President Donald Trump's proposal on Thursday for deep cuts to the budgets of a broad swath of the federal bureaucracy was billed as a necessary corrective to the growth of the government's power.

News Story

Proposed Trump Budget Would End Legal Services Corp.

Sara Randazzo
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
March 16, 2017
Tucked in President Donald Trump’s sweeping proposed budget released Wednesday is a line item that many in the legal community feared was coming: the complete elimination of the Legal Services Corp.

News Story

Trump to Cut Legal Aid, Lawyers Doubt Congress Will Approve

Gabe Friedman
Bloomberg
March 16, 2017
Jim Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corp., said he expects Congress will ignore Trump’s budget and grant his organization’s full request for $502.7 million.

News Story

Legal Services Corp., Under Trump, Faces New Threat to Existence

Marcia Coyle
National Law Journal
March 16, 2017
The Legal Services Corp., created in 1974 under the signature of President Richard Nixon, is once again on the chopping block as another Republican president—Donald Trump— proposes to zero out its funding in his first budget.

News Story

How President Donald Trump’s Budget Could Affect The Chicago Area

Dan Weissmann
WBEZ (IL)
March 16, 2017
The proposed budget would also cut into funding for groups that offer legal help in the Chicago area.

News Story

Domestic Violence Victims Could Lose Funding To Hire Lawyers Under Trump Budget

Josh Keefe
International Business Times (IB Times)
March 16, 2017
President Donald Trump released his proposed 2018 federal budget Thursday, and among the many government agencies the budget would eliminate is the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which helps fund legal representation for victims of domestic violence.

News Story

Legal aid funding cut from Trump budget

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
March 16, 2017
Rep. Susan Brooks, the Indianapolis Republican who co-founded the Access to Legal Services Caucus in Congress in 2015, is advocating for LSC funding to be retained.

Column

Making a Goal Line Stand for Legal Aid

Stephen Poor
Bloomberg
March 15, 2017
It is rare that the Big Law community comes together over issues. The fact that over 150 firms have done so should send a message underlining the importance we place on this issue.

News Story

A Little Free Advice: Lawyers Help Vermonters Facing Eviction

Katie Jickling
Seven Days (Vermont)
March 15, 2017
In an effort to make proceedings in her courtroom more equitable, Toor teamed up with the local Law Line to provide free legal assistance to those facing complicated eviction cases.

News Story

Legal services in unprecedented danger under Trump’s budget proposal

Tom McCarthy
Guardian
March 16, 2017
Budget proposal includes cuts to organization that helps clients fight negligent landlords and domestic violence, in addition to 18 other small budget agencies.

News Story

Trump Budget Cuts Put Struggling Americans on Edge

Sabrina Tavernise, Trip Gabriel
New York Times (NYT)
March 17, 2017
Legal Aid Services helped Joe and Paula Frye keep their home in Oklahoma. Now that program’s federal funding may be in jeopardy.

Column

Legal Aid Is Under Assault, But Don’t Count It Out

David Lash
Above the Law
March 17, 2017
Support for the provision of free legal representation to the poor is now, and always has been, a bipartisan issue. It should remain that way.

Op-Ed

Funding Legal Services Corp. vital as need grows

Linda Klein
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 17, 2017
It's critical that Congress sustains funding writes the ABA president.

Interview

Chief Justice on Proposed Legal Aid Cuts: ‘You Can’t Just Be for the Rich Folks’

Angela Morris
Texas Lawyer
March 17, 2017
Judicial leaders in Texas plan to ask Congress and the White House to save federal funding for civil legal aid to poor Texans.

Feature

What Will Happen to Americans Who Can’t Afford an Attorney?

Matt Ford
Atlantic, The
March 19, 2017
President Trump’s budget would eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, which helps low-income individuals obtain representation in civil proceedings.

News Story

How Trump’s Budget Could Hurt Rural Voters Who Need Legal Help

Mike Vainisi
ATTN
March 20, 2017
Cuts to the Legal Services Corporation will be felt in rural America.

News Story

Bush Appointee Takes Issue With Ending Federal Funding for Legal Services

Jonathan Ringel
Daily Report (Georgia)
March 17, 2017
He takes issue with conservative arguments for targeting federally-funded legal services.

News Story

Defunding Legal Services Corp. Would Have ‘Dramatic’ Impact in Pa.

Zack Needles, Hank Grezlak
Legal Intelligencer (PA)
March 20, 2017
The proposal to zero out funding for Legal Services Corp. would be felt deeply by Pennsylvania's poorest regions, where civil legal aid providers rely most heavily on federal dollars and are already struggling to meet the population's needs.

Letter to Editor

Don’t chop legal aid funding

Deborah R. Gross
Philadelphia Inquirer
March 21, 2017
Eliminating funding for the Legal Services Corp. poses a threat to our entire community. Denying funding for civil legal aid prevents access to justice for all.

News Story

Donald Trump Plans to Eliminate Legal Aid Funding That Supports Survivors of Domestic Violence

Jordan Smith
Intercept, The
March 20, 2017
When Sonota thinks about funding for legal aid being discontinued, she gets choked up. She believes defunding the LSC would sound a death knell for people like her.

News Story

Legal aid groups prepare for loss of federal funds

Dominic Fracassa
San Francisco Chronicle
March 21, 2017
Legal aid organizations across California are bracing for what could be a devastating financial blow following the release of the Trump administration’s draft budget last week.

Audio , News Story

White House budget proposal cuts legal services for low-income Alaskans

Anne Hillman
Alaska Public Media
March 22, 2017
For the past 50 years, Alaska Legal Services Corporation has offered free legal help to low-income Alaskans.

News Story

Proposed cuts would reduce legal aid for poor

Shannon Eblen
Courier-Post (NJ)
March 23, 2017
Cuts to funding for legal services for the poor could force thousands of New Jersey residents to go without representation in civil cases, advocates warn.

Op-Ed

Don’t eliminate funding for legal services

Erwin Chemerinsky
Orange County Register
March 23, 2017
Eliminating federal funding for legal aid for the poor is unconscionable. Everyone — rich and poor alike — should have access to justice.

Op-Ed

Why California should boost legal aid funding

Bob Wieckowski, Salena Copeland
Mercury News (San Jose, CA)
March 22, 2017
Seniors, people with disabilities, domestic violence survivors and their children, elderly financial abuse victims, victims of consumer scams, working parents in debt and many more will be left alone to navigate a daunting legal system.

News Story

Pensacola pro-bono attorneys may lose $1.4 million under Trump

Kevin Robinson
Pensacola News Journal (FL)
March 24, 2017
Thousands of local citizens wind up in court each year fighting legal battles to keep their homes, to maintain custody of their children and to hold onto work and medical benefits.

Letter to Editor

Don’t cut funding for legal services

Daily Gazette (NY)
March 24, 2017
Eliminating funding of this critical organization would be devastating to our most vulnerable people at the most vulnerable times of their lives.

News Story

Lawyers Warn Against ‘Devastating’ Cuts to Legal Services

Michael Marciano
Connecticut Law Tribune
March 24, 2017
Members of Connecticut's legal aid community are taking the proposal seriously.

News Story

Budget cuts under Trump could hit South Dakota hard

John Hult, Patrick Anderson
Sioux City Journal
March 25, 2017
A law office that assists low-income South Dakotans in civil cases like evictions, divorces, protection orders and collections would lose two-thirds of its funding under Trump's budget proposal.

Op-Ed

Cuts to legal services for rural, poor people would hurt those who helped elect Trump

Kevin R. Johnson
Sacramento Bee
March 26, 2017
Legal aid organizations across the country, especially in the nation’s rural expanses funded for decades by the Legal Services Corporations, provide the critical voice for the poorest and most vulnerable of our neighbors.

Op-Ed

Legal aid keeps courts accessible

Kimberly Sanchez
Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
March 26, 2017
Justice for all is a founding principle of our democracy. Unfortunately, for many Americans justice comes with a price tag they cannot afford.

Blog Post , News Story

General Counsel Join Fight to Save Legal Services Corp.

Sara Randazzo
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
March 28, 2017
The group of top corporate lawyers, from companies including Google Inc., American Express, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Walt Disney, signed on to a letter delivered to all members of Congress.

News Story

185 Corporate Counsel Urge Congress to Fund LSC

Marcia Coyle
National Law Journal
March 28, 2017
Top in-house lawyers said the “minimal investment in LSC generates a significant positive return for business and the health of individuals and communities across the nation.”

Op-Ed

Our democracy can’t afford to cut legal aid services from the budget

John Barrow
Hill, The
March 29, 2017
It’s dumb because killing the LSC will do next to nothing to balance the budget.

News Story

Why General Counsel Oppose Trump’s Legal Services Cuts

Rebekah Mintzer
National Law Journal
March 29, 2017
The in-house attorneys, representing numerous industries and some of the country’s biggest companies, asked Congress to grant the legal aid nonprofit $450 million in FY 2018.

News Story

Legal aid service fears Trump budget slashing

Javonte Anderson
Chicago Tribune
March 29, 2017
If ILS sustains budget cuts it would have a direct impact on the low-income citizens in Northwest Indiana, officials said.

Op-Ed

Calls To Defund The LSC Are Based On Outdated Information

Father Pius Pietrzyk
Daily Caller
March 31, 2017
Funding LSC helps to foster the principle that access to the courts is an essential element of the rule of law, the bedrock of our Republic.

Op-Ed

Legal Service Corp. Funding is Critical to Justice for All

Eve Runyon
ALM
March 31, 2017
This proposal is in stark contrast to the bi-partisan support LSC has received throughout its 42-year history.

News Story

Legal Aid of North Carolina faces deep cuts under Trump’s budget proposal

Michael Hewlett
Winston-Salem Journal (NC)
April 1, 2017
Legal Aid of North Carolina could lose nearly half of its funding under President Donald Trump’s budget proposal.

Column

Want To Help The Economy? Then Don’t Cut Legal Aid.

David Lash
Above the Law
March 31, 2017
Among the reasons for this powerful, across-the-aisle support has been the simple fact that an allocation of funding for legal aid is a wise investment.

Letter to Editor

Trump budget threatens legal services for the vulnerable

Abigail Smith
Daily Camera (Boulder)
April 1, 2017
If we are unwilling or unable to fight for access to legal assistance now, we will heap injustice on those who can least afford it.

News Story

Legal aid for Louisiana poor on chopping block in Trump’s budget

Richard Rainey
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)
April 3, 2017
For one of the most impoverished states in the country, President Donald Trump's budget proposal could put even greater distance between a lawyer and Louisiana's poor.

Op-Ed

A $15 tax bill nearly cost a family their home. With Trump, it would have

Martha Bergmark
Guardian
April 3, 2017
The president wants to scrap legal aid, which countless Americans rely on when they cannot afford a private attorney. If he succeeds, it would be devastating.

News Story , Video

Montana Supreme Court justices raise concerns about legal aid funding

Jonathon Ambarian
KTVH (Helena, MT)
April 3, 2017
All seven current justices of the Montana Supreme Court, along with eight retired members, are calling on Congress to continue funding two groups that help provide legal aid for people who can’t afford it.

News Story

Former Judge Lippman expects Congress to restore legal aid

Robert Gavin
Albany Times Union
April 3, 2017
Lippman says he expects Congress to restore funds cut by Trump's budget.

Op-Ed

Legal Services, Americorps serve Montana well

Mike McGrath, Beth Baker
Billings Gazette
April 4, 2017
These programs are critical partners in ensuring that the Montana justice system meets the Constitution’s command to “establish Justice ... and secure the Blessings of Liberty” to all Montanans.

Op-Ed , Speech

Justice system hangs in the balance

Rep. Joe Kennedy III
Boston Herald
April 4, 2017
Legal Services cuts impact a lifeline for the poor.

News Story

Law firm leaders come out to defend Legal Services Corp. from Trump Administration

David Hutton
SE Texas Record
April 3, 2017
A letter was sent to John Michael Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget from more than 150 law firm leaders, voicing their support of community-based legal services programs.

News Story

Trump’s Budget Would Cut Legal Aid Agencies

Allison Thibault
Daily Caller
April 4, 2017
It could hurt some poor people’s ability to get legal assistance for issues like domestic-violence restraining orders or home foreclosures.

Column

Guarding Legal Services Corp. from Trump budget cuts

Andrea D. Lyon
Indiana Lawyer
April 5, 2017
Many of us in legal education are dismayed by statements made and actions taken by the Trump administration thus far pushing to eliminate funding to organizations like the LSC that provide civil legal aid to low-income Americans.

News Story

Trump wants to cut off poor people’s legal lifeline

Bryce Covert
ThinkProgress
April 6, 2017
Without legal aid, there will be little assistance for those facing eviction, domestic violence, or huge amounts of debt.

Op-Ed

Equal justice under the law threatened by budget cuts

Mike O’Connor
Sauk Valley Media
April 6, 2017
The federal budget request recently submitted by the president includes the complete elimination of the Legal Services Corp.

News Story

Going Into Motion For the Legal Services Corporation

Chuck Quirmbach
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 6, 2017
State Bar, Advocates For Domestic Abuse Victims Criticize Trump Plan.

Op-Ed

Don’t kill the Legal Services Corporation

David Nammo
USA Today
April 7, 2017
Most of the legal needs of the poor go unmet. The result is a crisis of justice.

News Story

Madison attorneys, advocates say Trump budget cuts threaten legal aid organizations

Lisa Speckhard
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
April 7, 2017
At a press conference Thursday, advocates and lawyers gathered to defend LAW and similar organizations that provide attorneys for low-income defendants in the civil court system.

Editorial

Legal aid vital

Scranton Times-Tribune
April 9, 2017
Before the Trump administration follows through on its proposal to zero-out federal contributions to the Legal Services Corp., it should examine its net impact.

Op-Ed

We must fund legal services for the poor

Nick Fish
Street Roots
April 11, 2017
"Equal justice under law” is a core value of our nation. But what happens when a victim of domestic violence, or an older adult facing eviction, can’t afford a lawyer? What happens when millions of Americans don’t have access to justice?

Column

Trump Targets the Legal Services Corporation

Dorothy Samuels
American Prospect, The
April 11, 2017
Another presidential assault on the courts and poor people—and another critical institution heedlessly threatened.

News Story

Ohio Supreme Court chief justice seeks funding for Legal Aid

Tom Jackson
Sandusky Register (OH)
April 11, 2017
The chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court has asked Ohio lawmakers to reject President Donald Trump's request that they end federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation, the federal agency that funds Legal Aid.

Op-Ed

Cuts to Legal Aid Would Be Catastrophic for Children

Nisha Kashyap
Chronicle of Social Change (CA)
April 13, 2017
Children are the hidden beneficiaries of legal aid services.

News Story

Legal-Service Aid for Vulnerable North Dakotans on Chopping Block

Eric Tegethoff
Public News Service (PNS)
April 18, 2017
Tucked into the Trump administration's proposed $54 billion cut to domestic programs, is the complete defunding of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a funding organization that helps provide free legal services on civil matters to poor Americans.

Interview

Viacom’s Shari Redstone on Why Everyone Needs a Good Lawyer

Brent Lang
Variety
April 18, 2017
“The entire legal system was built upon the assumption that people would have adequate representation. When they don’t, the system fails and the laws don’t matter.”

News Story

Legal experts: Trump’s budget plan may jeopardize legal services for poor

Jared Kline
WHSV (Harrisonburg, VA)
April 18, 2017
Several statewide organizations are decrying a proposed cut in President Donald Trump's budget plan they say could jeopardize legal aid to millions.

News Story

Trump’s Budget: Taking Aim at Legal Aid for the Poor

S. Heather Duncan
Knoxville Mercury
April 19, 2017
In Knoxville and 25 other counties, the poor can turn to Legal Aid of East Tennessee for help—but that could change if President Trump succeeds in shutting down the nonprofit that provides half of its funding.

Editorial

Don’t cut legal aid for the poor

Tampa Bay Times
April 24, 2017
Preserving funding for the Legal Services Corp. should be a priority — and so should securing a more stable source of funding at the state level to help thousands of poor Floridians get through the courthouse door.

Op-Ed

Budget cuts threaten to slam the courthouse door on many Alabama residents

Linda Klein
AL.com
April 26, 2017
When ordinary Americans need help with life's big problems, the Legal Services Corporation is there. But its survival is threatened. That's why it needs help from every resident of Alabama.

Letter to Editor

Protect legal counsel for all

G. Scott McComb
Columbus Dispatch
April 27, 2017
Legal Aid helps the forgotten in our society and also makes so much financial sense. Besides, it’s the right thing to do. President Donald Trump must remember the Pledge of Allegiance and protect justice for all.

News Story

Trump’s Cuts to Legal Aid Programs Would Hurt Low-Income Texans

John Bogna
Houston Press
April 27, 2017
President Donald Trump's discretionary budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, released last week, would cut funding entirely from 19 organizations, including the Legal Services Corporation.

Op-Ed

Budget cuts could threaten legal services for state’s poor

Wendy Glasbrenner
Gainesville Times (GA)
April 28, 2017
It’s imperative that attorneys like ours are available to intervene in cases where people could otherwise not afford a lawyer.

Editorial

Don’t close courthouse doors on Floridians

Orlando Sentinel
April 28, 2017
An additional $22 million for legal aid would be modest by comparison, but it would have a life-changing impact for thousands of Floridians.

News Story

Saving Legal Services Corp’s Funding: Inside The Battle

Gabe Friedman
Bloomberg
May 5, 2017
President Trump is expected to release his budget for the next fiscal year in late May, and then Congress will have an appropriations process and during which time LSC’s funding level will be determined.

Letter to Editor

Trump budget would cut vital legal services

William Robitzek
CentralMaine.com
May 6, 2017
Gutting civil legal aid would devastate low-income families and vulnerable people in Maine and throughout the U.S. Especially hard hit would be rural areas, where legal help is scarce.

Op-Ed

Legal lifeline to low-income people in peril

Linda Klein, Patricia Bennett
Clarion Ledger (Jackson, MS)
May 6, 2017
When ordinary Americans need help with life’s big problems, the Legal Services Corp. is there. But its survival is threatened. That’s why it needs help from every resident of Mississippi.

Op-Ed

Klein, Williams: Cuts threaten to slam courthouse door on West Virginians

Linda Klein, Marc E. Williams
Charleston Gazette-Mail
May 13, 2017
When ordinary Americans need help with life’s big problems, the Legal Services Corporation is there. But its survival is threatened. That’s why it needs help from every resident of West Virginia.

News Story

ABA president advocates a $450M budget for LSC in letter to Senate

Lee Rawles
ABA Journal
May 15, 2017
"Funding for equal justice under federal law cannot be shouldered by state and local governments as an unfunded mandate,” Klein wrote.

Op-Ed

Civil legal aid good for business and poor

Jon Laramore
Indianapolis Business Journal
May 20, 2017
President Trump's budget seeks to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation. The impact inevitably will be felt most heavily in rural areas, which are the most costly to serve. But it ultimately will be felt by business owners across Indiana as well.

News Story

Trump’s Cuts to Legal Services Are Yet Another Way of Making Poor People Suffer

Lisa Needham
Rewire
May 22, 2017
Trump's presidential budget proposes to eliminate funding for a program helping those with low incomes obtain legal representation for things like obtaining restraining orders, preventing foreclosures, and ensuring elderly people aren't scammed by lenders.

News Story

A Top Republican Backs A Federal Legal Aid Agency The White House Is Trying To Defund

Zoe Tillman
BuzzFeed
May 23, 2017
The Trump administration has proposed getting rid of the Legal Services Corporation, which funds legal aid for low-income Americans. The agency’s president nevertheless said he’s “optimistic” about the future, given bipartisan support from Congress.

News Story

Trump budget hits legal aid and public service sectors

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
May 24, 2017
Conversely, the LSC is confident Congress would continue to allocate funding as it has for the last 42 years.

News Story

North Carolina AG opposes President Trump’s budget proposal that could lead to deep cuts for Legal Aid of North Carolina

Michael Hewett
Winston-Salem Journal (NC)
May 25, 2017
The Trump administration’s budget proposal, released this week, has called for eliminating Legal Services Corp., which has a current appropriation of $385 million.

Letter to Editor

Six of the worst cuts in Trump’s budget

Deborah Rhode
Washington Post
May 26, 2017
Access to justice.

News Story

Cynthia Coffman attorneys general ask Congress to preserve federal legal aid funding

Ernest Luning
Colorado Statesman
May 26, 2017
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican, urged Congress to reject a Trump administration budget proposal that would eliminate federal spending on civil legal services for rural and low-income Americans.

Op-Ed

Loss of legal services would threaten foundations of democracy

Julie Reiskin, John Zakhem
Colorado Springs Gazette
May 28, 2017
Access to justice is not a Democratic or Republican issue; it is an American value. As the Honorable Learned Hand cautioned, "If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice."

Op-Ed

Equal justice at risk

John G. Levi, Victor B. Maddox
Courier-Journal (KY)
June 1, 2017
Every day, LSC-funded legal aid attorneys in Kentucky and across our nation are upholding this ideal as they work to expand access to justice to all Americans. Their vital work must continue.

News Story

Law students come to Martinsburg, learn about rural challenges, benefits

Danyel VanReenen
Journal (Martinsburg, WV)
June 1, 2017
Resulting from a partnership between the Legal Services Corporation and the Equal Justice Works, the trip marks the beginning of a summer program for legal students interested in working with rural legal aid clients.

Op-Ed

Scalia supported legal aid — Trump doesn’t

Ralph Gants
Boston Globe
June 5, 2017
The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia praised the Legal Services Corporation for providing “high-quality legal assistance to those who would otherwise be unable to afford adequate legal counsel.”

Op-Ed

Civil legal aid programs extend ‘justice for all’ to Maine’s most vulnerable

Kevin Hancock, Nan Heald
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
June 5, 2017
Pine Tree Legal Assistance is such a lifeline, but its federal funding source is imperiled by budget cuts.

News Story

Federal budget cuts could reduce legal aid to poor, elderly

Edith Brady-Lunny
Pantagraph
June 7, 2017
The chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court is adding his voice to others in the legal community calling for renewal of federal funding for attorneys to represent the nation's poor and elderly.

Op-Ed

In support of legal services

Brad Cook
New Hampshire Business Review
June 9, 2017
Fund-raising campaign deserves help to meet a staggering need.

Op-Ed

With Liberty and Justice for All

Anthony A. Hilliard
Arkansas Business
June 12, 2017
The best way to ensure liberty and justice for all and to protect the Constitution is to ensure all Arkansans have access to the justice system.

Letter to Editor

Federal leaders need to know how costly it would be to cut legal aid

Carol A. Starkey
Boston Globe
June 13, 2017
Eliminating LSC would have negative consequences for our nation’s bottom line.

Op-Ed

Former U.S. AG: President Trump, please don’t cut Legal Services

Dick Thornburgh
Fox News
June 15, 2017
As U.S. Attorney General, I proudly advocated for the Americans with Disabilities Act. I know firsthand that legal rights mean little without lawyers to enforce them.

Op-Ed

Congress should restore full funding to a program that helps ensure ‘Justice for all’

Matthew M. Haar
Patriot-News (Harrisburg)
June 20, 2017
Unnoticed by many is the daily struggle many Americans face in handling the costs of legal aid.

Letter to Editor

Contrary to editorial, Legal Aid needs additional funds

John Shea
Telegram & Gazette (Worchester, MA)
June 22, 2017
While we appreciate the T&G’s concern about the state budget, we are failing in our country’s pledge of equal justice under the law and additional funding for legal aid is required to close the justice gap.

Op-Ed

Liberty and justice for Tacomans jeopardized

Derek Kilmer
Tacoma News Tribune (WA)
June 25, 2017
Our legal system shouldn’t deny justice to working families and veterans. Those on fixed incomes shouldn’t be cut out of our legal system.

News Story

Proposed ’18 budget would cut LSC by 24%, increase funds for law enforcement and immigration court

Lee Rawles
ABA Journal
June 30, 2017
Martha Bergmark, a former LSC president, says she is extremely concerned about the proposed cut to a vital organization which has already experienced previous funding losses.

Column

The threat Trump poses that gets almost no attention

Catherine Rampell
Washington Post
July 3, 2017
Low-income families, whether in red-state America or blue, turn out to need a lot of legal help.

Op-Ed

Don’t turn our backs on justice for all

Walter Mondale, Linda Klein
Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)
July 7, 2017
The White House wants to defund legal aid services that help millions of Americans. That would be costly — and wrong.

Blog Post

Tough Times for Legal Aid Everywhere, But Especially in Hawaii

Nancy Young
Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ)
July 10, 2017
The cut comes at a time when legal aid groups in Hawaii and throughout the nation are already facing more demand for their services than they can meet.

Op-Ed

Want to make a real difference for struggling vets? Ensure access to legal aid

Alicia McCormick
Navy Times
August 6, 2017
Far too often, veterans do not know their rights and don’t get the help they need. Low-income veterans and other military personnel received inadequate or no professional legal help for 88 percent of their civil legal problems in 2017.

Editorial

Legal aid cuts another hit for the poor

Charlotte Observer
August 8, 2017
The legal aid cuts done in the name of budget-balancing but now said by longtime observers to likely be permanent deny the poor a fair shake in the complicated legal system.

News Story

New York City Guarantees a Lawyer to Every Resident Facing Eviction

Kriston Capps
CityLab
August 14, 2017
The new law protecting low-income tenants is the first in the nation.

Op-Ed

The Legal Services Corporation’s meeting in Cleveland reminds us that access to justice is worth fighting for

Lea Kayali
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
August 27, 2017
The truth is, due process is growing harder to come by for many Americans.

News Story

The Legal Crises to Follow in Hurricane Harvey’s Wake

Vann Newkirk
Atlantic, The
August 29, 2017
Lawyers in Houston are acting as first responders, connecting victims with insurance issues, among others, to pro bono assistance.

Letter to Editor

Pro bono attorneys needed to address justice gap

Linda Rio Reichmann
Chicago Tribune
August 30, 2017
Low-income Americans received no or inadequate legal help for 86 percent of their non-criminal legal problems, including domestic violence, divorce, child support, veterans' benefits, disability access, housing conditions and health care.

Feature

For Struggling Consumers, a Cheaper Way to File for Bankruptcy

Katy Stech Ferek
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
September 10, 2017
A nonprofit has developed an online program designed to help people prepare a chapter 7 filing without a lawyer.

Op-Ed

Harvey and Irma survivors need food, water, shelter – and a lawyer

Martha Bergmark
Fox News
September 12, 2017
As recovery proceeds, survivors will have a critical need for something less obvious – legal help.

Op-Ed

Every year, millions try to navigate US courts without a lawyer

Lauren Sudeall Lucas, Darcy Meals
Associated Press (AP)
September 21, 2017
Without legal assistance, their issues will likely be unresolved or, worse, wrongly resolved against them.

News Story

Legal help for needy in demand in Metro Detroit

Oralandar Brand-Williams
Detroit News
October 9, 2017
From assisting parents in custody disputes to helping low-income homeowners stave off foreclosure, area law clinics are ramping up their efforts to assist Metro Detroiters who can’t afford attorneys as demand increases.

Feature

The Justice Gap

Lincoln Caplan
Harvard Magazine
October 20, 2017
America’s unfulfilled promise of “equal justice under law”.

Op-Ed

Lawyers step up to help disaster survivors

Hilarie Bass
Houston Chronicle
October 23, 2017
But as the interest in the story wanes, legal needs for the people affected by these storms are just beginning to surface. Disaster survivors' legal problems can be lengthy and complicated. That is where lawyers can help.

Op-Ed

Scrapping loan forgiveness for public servants hurts our democracy

Christopher P. Chapman
Hill, The
November 11, 2017
Broad access to justice is essential to the preservation of any democracy, and yet many Americans struggle to afford adequate legal representation.

Column

Consumer advocates will converge on Congress, but don’t expect GOP to see the light

David Lazarus
Los Angeles Times (LA Times)
November 14, 2017
More than 100 consumer advocates and lawyers will meet throughout the day with lawmakers and staff members.

Column

A Special Kind of Giving

Mona Charen
National Review
December 22, 2017
Tzedek DC, a new Jewish legal-aid society, provides pro bono representation for the poor in debt cases.

News Story

Could Gaming Help Close the Access to Justice Gap?

Gabrielle Orum Hernández
Law.com
January 5, 2018
As the legal industry writ large continues to consider opportunities to close the access to justice gap, four state legal aid groups have proposed an unconventional approach: gaming.

News Story

Mobile game helps people act as their own lawyer so they don’t, for example, call the judge ‘dude’

David Brooks
Concord Monitor (NH)
January 16, 2018
Private lawyers are often too expensive for such small-claims or family court cases and the number of lawyers working pro bono doesn’t begin to meet the need, creating a lot of what is known in legalese as self-represented litigants.

News Story

Legal aid funding included in budget deal

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
February 9, 2018
LSC’s funding will stay at the 2017 level of $385 million until Congress finishes the appropriations process that will determine the balance of funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2018.

News Story

Defunding Legal Services Corp., per Trump’s wishes, would cut almost $4 million from local legal aid groups

Jeremy Nobile
Crain’s Cleveland Business
February 14, 2018
Legal aid groups once again face a potential budget slashing as part of a recent proposal by President Donald Trump at a time when their resources are already stretched thin.

News Story

Amid another call for defunding, LSC asking for an increase

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
February 20, 2018
LSC leaders are confident of continued support from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill but the organization is asking for more money even though it may still get a funding cut in fiscal year 2018.

Op-Ed

Low-income hurricane victims being denied legal assistance

Charles Elsesser
Miami Herald
February 21, 2018
Congress must appropriate funding that permits legal aid groups to provide legal help, including representation, for as long as necessary for recovery, which we know can take years.

News Story

Legal aid for low-income Texans cut under proposed 2019 White House budget

Steffi Lee
KXAN (Local NBC, Austin, TX)
February 23, 2018
Connie Castillo and Jeanette Bell live in different parts of Texas, but both share a similar feeling: If it wasn’t for civil legal aid services coming to their help, they don’t know what they would do.

Op-Ed

Trump has a chance to help domestic violence survivors

Martha Bergmark
Hill, The
February 28, 2018
If he wants to change the story, and at the same time provide real support for survivors of domestic violence, the president has an opportunity at his fingertips: Defend, don’t defund, the Legal Services Corporation.

Editorial

Encouragement and Aspirations for the #LegalAidDefenders

Connecticut Law Tribune
March 2, 2018
Within the swirl of political activity of 2017 lay yet another attack on the Legal Services Corp., the federal agency that serves as the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans.

News Story

Proposed Cuts to Civil Legal Services Will Deny Courtroom Justice to the Poor

Eleanor J. Bader
Truthout
March 11, 2018
Last year -- fiscal 2018 -- Trump identified the Legal Services Corporation as one of 19 organizations to be completely eliminated.

News Story

Legal Aid Funding ‘Crucial’ After Hurricanes, Florida Chief Justice Says

Celia Ampel
Law.com
March 13, 2018
Comments at a congressional hearing in Washington came weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corp.

News Story , Video

Proposed cut for legal aid for low-income Americans hurts programs for poor

Roland Rodriguez
KRIS-TV (Corpus Christi)
March 20, 2018
Not only will this 2019 budget-cut hurt low-income Texans, it will also hurt the programs that help them.

News Story

Congress gives $410 million to Legal Services Corp.

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
March 23, 2018
Significantly, the rise in appropriation comes after the Trump Administration proposed defunding LSC completely.

News Story

Kentucky Could Become Third State Not To Fund Legal Aid

Associated Press (AP)
March 27, 2018
State lawmakers are considering cutting the program to save money in a budget crunch caused by massive pension liabilities and stagnant revenues.

Op-Ed

States’ Vital Role in Providing Civil Justice for Everyone

Martha Bergmark
Governing
April 2, 2018
It's up to lawmakers to provide the funding that's needed and to back reforms that make the system work better.

Column

Kentucky Attempted To Kill Legal Aid Funding — We Should All Be Terrified

Joe Patrice
Above the Law
April 18, 2018
Kentucky's broken the taboo against eliminating legal aid funding -- expect things to get even worse around the country.

Op-Ed

Legal aid ensures equal justice for all; Congress must increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation

Hilarie Bass
Hill, The
April 27, 2018
It helps disaster victims get the government assistance to which they are entitled. When domestic violence survivors need protection, LSC lawyers help obtain court orders. And LSC helps tenants who face illegal evictions.

Op-Ed

Meeting the Challenge of the Legal Aid Crisis

John G. Levi, Ken Frazier, Harriet Miers
National Law Journal
May 4, 2018
The opioid crisis and the recent spate of natural disasters present new challenges to already overburdened civil legal aid providers.

News Story

Partnership could ease bankruptcy process

Jeremy Nobile
Crain’s Cleveland Business
May 6, 2018
While the Akron nonprofit is the only group in the state partnering with Upsolve for a one-year pilot program to help low-income clients facing bankruptcy, it joins several other legal aid groups doing so across the country.

News Story

Community Legal Aid pilot program provides virtual legal assistance in Wayne County

Jeremy Nobile
Crain’s Cleveland Business
May 16, 2018
Community Action has set up a virtual office at its Wooster location to connect low-income Wooster citizens seeking legal help with legal aid attorneys, allowing typical consultations and assistance with legal documents to be addressed.

Op-Ed

State budget should support legal aid

Jack D’Aurora
Columbus Dispatch
May 27, 2018
Remarkably, the state of Ohio contributes nothing to legal aid. The Ohio Supreme Court’s Task Force recommended in 2015 that the Ohio General Assembly fund the cost of the 120 legal-aid attorneys and support staff who were laid off because of declining funds.

News Story

Can’t Afford a Lawyer?

Christie Thompson
Marshall Project
July 18, 2018
Civil representation is too expensive for many, but Washington state has one solution.

News Story

Atlanta Legal Aid Takes On New Foe: Homeowner Tax Hikes

Meredith Hobbs
Law.com
August 16, 2018
Atlanta Legal Aid is using a major federal grant to expand "limited scope," high-impact volunteer projects, including the property tax aid initiative.

Column

How Rising Inequality Has Widened the Justice Gap

Robert Frank
New York Times (NYT)
August 31, 2018
Rising inequality has harmed low-income families not only by depriving them of a fair share of society’s income growth, but also in a more specific way: It has stacked the legal system even more heavily against them.

News Story

New App Lets You ‘Sue Anyone By Pressing a Button’

Caroline Haskins
Motherboard
October 10, 2018
DoNotPay is a free app that is designed to help normal people fight big corporations in small claims court.

Op-Ed

Liberals Abandoned Civil Legal Aid. Now They Need to Bring It Back.

Douglas Grant
Slate
October 12, 2018
A “civil Gideon” is needed to provide publicly funded attorneys for low-income people in cases like eviction proceedings, domestic violence, and public benefits disputes.

News Story

Legal Aid Funder Faces Existential Crisis Under Trump

RJ Vogt
Law360
October 28, 2018
Following Donald Trump's election to the presidency, the LSC and its grantees face an existential crisis — for the first time since President Ronald Reagan left office, the executive branch has repeatedly called for LSC's elimination.

Op-Ed

The Modernization Our Civil Legal System Needs

Susan K. Urahn
Governing
November 6, 2018
Technology can help people who don't have lawyers and make courts more efficient.

Op-Ed

America’s civil justice system needs reform, too

Martha Bergmark
USA Today
December 12, 2018
Poor remain underrepresented and taken advantage of when it comes to court claims and judgments.

Feature

No Country For Old Lawyers: Rural U.S. Faces A Legal Desert

Cara Bayles, Jack Karp
Law360
January 27, 2019
Although about 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, only 2 percent of lawyers practice there.

News Story

LSC new leaders’ council will raise legal aid profile

Minnesota Lawyer
February 8, 2019
The group will include some of the country’s rising leaders from diverse industries.

Column

Republicans’ deregulation is hurting consumers. A new bill from Democrats could help.

Catherine Rampell
Washington Post
March 4, 2019
At exactly the same time that Republicans have been rolling back supposedly burdensome regulations, they have also been making it harder for downstream victims to seek redress.

Investigative

How Americans navigate a civil justice system made ‘by lawyers, for lawyers’

Mollie Bryant
Big If True
March 18, 2019
Across the country, a huge influx of individuals are representing themselves in civil courtrooms, which lack the criminal side’s right to counsel.

News Story

Will Congress Heed Trump’s Call To Nix Legal Aid Funder?

RJ Vogt
Law360
March 24, 2019
For the third year in a row, President Trump’s budget calls for eliminating LSC, but advocates for America’s main funder of civil legal aid remain hopeful that lawmakers will again rebuff that recommendation.

News Story

In Louisiana civil courts, the poor are left to defend themselves

Richard A. Webster
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)
March 14, 2019
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services – a nonprofit that provides free legal representation in 22 parishes, including Orleans – does what it can to fill the gap and meet the substantial demand, but it does so with limited resources.

News Story

Will Congress Heed Trump’s Call To Nix Legal Aid Funder?

RJ Vogt
Law360
March 24, 2019
For the third year in a row, President Donald Trump’s annual budget calls for the elimination of the Legal Services Corp., but advocates for America’s largest single funder of legal aid services remain hopeful that lawmakers will again rebuff that recommendation.

News Story

Closing Housing Justice Gap Needs More Than Lawyers

Andrew Strickler
Law360
April 14, 2019
A daunting justice gap facing low-income people threatened with home evictions demands a “wrap around” response by volunteer lawyers backed by social services and other kinds of assistance, pro bono advocates said Tuesday.

News Story

Cornyn meets with Texas Access to Justice Commission, vows to fight for funding for Legal Services Corporation

Carrie Bradon
SE Texas Record
April 30, 2019
On April 10, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) met with a group from the Texas Access of Justice Commission in order to discuss future funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

News Story

Closing Housing Justice Gap Needs More Than Lawyers

News Story

250+ General Counsel Ask Congress to Boost Federal Funding for Legal Services Corp.

Caroline Spiezio
Law.com
April 29, 2019
More than 250 general counsel are asking Congress to increase federal funding for Legal Services Corp. as the Trump administration seeks to completely cut funding for the group, which offers legal aid to low-income Americans.

News Story

General Counsel Request More Funding for Legal Services Corp.

Melissa Heelan Stanzione
Bloomberg
April 29, 2019
This is the third year in a row that the Trump administration has threatened to defund LSC, the nation’s single largest sponsor of civil legal aid, despite bipartisan support for the group.

Op-Ed

Top Amazon Lawyer: ‘Justice for All’ Requires More Funding and Innovation

David Zapolsky
Fortune
June 18, 2019
The private and public sectors need to work together to fix the broken civil justice system and ensure justice for all.

News Story

Trump to Nominate Big Law Attorney to Legal Services Corp Board

Melissa Heelan Stanzione
Bloomberg Big Law Business
June 14, 2019
President Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate Matthew D. Keenan, the former chair of Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s pro bono committee, to the board of directors of the Legal Services Corporation.

News Story

Top Legal Aid Funder Lands $15M Marked For Disaster Relief

RJ Vogt
Law360
June 9, 2019
On June 3, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the second year in a row to earmark $15 million for LSC — this time without limitations on how it could be used.

News Story

Legal Aid Groups Shouldn’t Wait For A Disaster To Act

Emma Cueto
Law360
September 22, 2019
When people think of providing aid after a hurricane, earthquake or flood, they don't typically think of legal aid, but natural disaster victims often need help with everything from disputes with landlords to appealing a denied FEMA claim to proving their identity after losing key documents.

News Story

All Work And Low Pay: Wage Gap Persists For Legal Aid Attys

Emma Cueto
Law360
September 29, 2019
While it isn’t surprising that attorneys working for nonprofit groups would receive less pay, the size of the discrepancy — and the low salaries in general — is concerning, Sandman said.

News Story

Legal Aid Org’s Departing Chief Praised For Funding Boost

Emma Cueto
Law360
January 26, 2020
Sandman said that his time at LSC had been “very rewarding,” and that after leaving he hopes to teach and to find other ways to contribute to the cause of access to justice.

Feature

An LSC grant program is trying to increase access to justice through tech

Stephanie Francis Ward
ABA Journal
February 1, 2020
Since 2000, approximately $65 million has been awarded by the TIG program.

News Story

Trump budget again aims to defund Legal Services Corp

Caroline Spiezio
Reuters News Service
February 10, 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called for a defunding of Legal Services Corp in his budget proposal for fiscal year 2021, the fourth year in a row his administration has aimed to shutter the nonprofit, which promotes access to civil legal aid to low-income Americans.

News Story

LSC looking to continue streak of appropriation increases

Marilyn Odendahl
Indiana Lawyer
February 11, 2020
Pointing to what it describes as an “overwhelming need for civil legal services,” Legal Services Corp. is asking a federal appropriation of $652.6 million for fiscal year 2021, a $212.6 million increase from the appropriation it received for fiscal year 2020.

News Story

Under Pressure: Legal Aid Attys Brace For Virus’s Impacts

Emma Cueto
Law360
March 15, 2020
As the entire legal industry continues reacting to the spread of COVID-19, the legal aid community is bracing for its expected impact on their services for underserved communities. And in some parts of the country, providers are already weathering the effects. This article looks at how some providers across the country are preparing.

News Story

As COVID-19 Layoffs Increase Demand for Legal Aid, Providers Expect Precipitous Funding Drop

Angela Morris
Texas Lawbook, Law.com
March 25, 2020
Civil legal-aid providers across the country are expecting a flood of Americans to begin qualifying for legal aid because of mass layoffs arising from COVID-19 government shutdowns. Some will face serious legal issues, yet as the demand for legal aid increases, the bottom just dropped out of the legal-aid budget. When the federal government cut interest rates to spur the economy, that also zeroed out the interest rate for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts, which is the traditional funding source for legal-aid providers.

News Story

After $100M Ask, Legal Aid Funder Nets $50M For Relief Work

RJ Vogt
Law360
March 27, 2020

Op-Ed

More resources for the Legal Services Corporation are needed as the pandemic continues

Rep. Steve Cohen
Hill, The
April 28, 2020

Audio , Interview , News Story

COVID-19 Has Created A Legal Aid Crisis. FEMA’s Usual Response Is Missing

Rebecca Hersher
National Public Radio (NPR)
May 11, 2020

Long Form

No Money, No Lawyer, No Justice – The vast, hidden inequities of the civil legal system

Kathryn Joyce
New Republic
June 22, 2020

News Story

Legal aid providers, already stretched thin, anticipate surge in evictions and requests for help

Crain’s Cleveland Business
July 28, 2020

News Story

Domestic Violence, Eviction, Finances Drive Virus Legal Aid Rise

Melissa Heelan Stanzione
Bloomberg Law
July 24, 2020

Op-Ed

Law Schools Must Focus on Access to Justice

Jonathan Lippman, Matthew Diller, David Udell
National Law Journal
September 26, 2016
Fordham, Stanford and other institutions are working to lessen the legal system's limitations.

Column

What the Poor Really Need Is Legal Aid

Susan Beck
Law.com
June 24, 2016
Now is the time for a Second Wave Revolution in Big Law pro bono.

News Story

To More Efficiently Leverage Civil Legal Aid, New York Providers Eye Online Portals

Ricci Dipshan
ALM
June 23, 2016
The focus on providing, expanding and modernizing civil legal aid in New York comes directly from the top.

News Story

Big Firms Slow to Answer Legal Services Funding Plea

Susan Beck
ALM
June 13, 2016
So far, only 19 law firms have agreed to contribute.

News Story

Study: More help needed for unrepresented in family court

Donna Bryson
Associated Press (AP)
June 10, 2016
Some jurisdictions report it's becoming the norm for at least one party to act on his or her own behalf in family court, often because trained help is out of financial reach.

News Story

Microsoft To Fund New Pilot Project To Improve Legal Aid

Susan Beck
ALM
April 19, 2016
Microsoft Corp. is committing $1 million to fund pilot projects for online legal portals that will direct low-income people to legal service providers.

News Story

Legal Services Corporation president: U.S. has defaulted on pledge of equal justice under law

Rachel Lippmann
St. Louis Public Radio
March 2, 2016
Declining federal money for legal aid programs, and a drop in other funding sources, mean the United States is no longer living up to a founding principle.

News Story

Court Leaders Want Poor To Have Better Access To Lawyers

Daniela Altimari
Hartford Courant
January 11, 2016
An influential coalition of jurists and legislators is hoping to change this inequality.

Blog Post

What to Do With Your Bonus

Susan Beck
ALM
December 22, 2015
Here's a suggestion for something else to do with a teeny-tiny sliver of that bonus money: Write a generous check to a civil legal aid group.

Op-Ed

Providing equal access to justice for all

Rep. Joe Kennedy III
Taunton Daily Gazette (MA)
September 11, 2015
It’s time for Congress to stand firmly behind increased funding for legal aid and ensure every American is afforded the protections our justice system promises, says Joe Kennedy III in this op-ed.

Op-Ed

For criminal justice reform, look to civil legal aid

David Udell
Al Jazeera America
September 5, 2015
Any reform on criminal justice will fall short unless our leaders recognize that being smart on crime requires being just as smart on civil justice.

Interview

LSC’s James Sandman: We Need Technology & Paraprofessionals

Monica Bay
Bloomberg
July 31, 2015
Q&A with Legal Services Corporation president James Sandman about solutions and trends in civil justice.

Op-Ed

How to save families from losing everything

Martha Bergmark, Thomas E. Perez
CNN
July 27, 2015
There is a resource for our communities that does not receive enough attention, yet is critical to ensuring that families not only stay afloat but move up the economic ladder: civil legal aid.

Listicle

10 Financial Moves That Keep You Sane During a Divorce

Marilyn Lewis
Money Talks News
July 23, 2015
Lawyers rank highest in this listicle about keeping sane during a divorce.

Op-Ed

U.S. needs renewal of a core value: access to justice

Jean A. Lastine, John G. Levi
MinnPost
July 17, 2015
Civil legal aid programs are being forced to turn away scores of low-income Americans seeking civil legal assistance. It's time to change that says this op-ed.

News Story

There’s just one legal aid lawyer for every 8,893 low-income Americans who qualify for them

Rob Wile
Fusion
June 29, 2015
A staggering statistic on the barriers to justice facing Americans.

Op-Ed

Equal justice remains elusive for the poor

Lauren Carasik
Al Jazeera America
June 29, 2015
Op-ed pointing out that equal justice remains elusive for millions of poor and low-income Americans. And the failure to provide meaningful access to representation runs afoul of regional and international human rights norms.

News Story