Proposed Trump Budget Would End Legal Services Corp.

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 (NATIONAL)

Sara Randazzo
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
March 16, 2017
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Tags: Funding: Federal

Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Services Corporation (LSC)


DETAILS

The nonprofit organization, established by Congress in 1974, funnels money to more than 130 civil legal-aid groups around the country. The funds go toward assisting low-income Americans in navigating a challenging legal system, often related to family-law and housing issues. Unlike in criminal cases, those involved in civil legal cases have no right to counsel, and must either pay for their own lawyer or rely on pro-bono services like those funded by Legal Services Corp.

The group has taken around $400 million or less in recent years in federal funds, which make up the majority of its budget. They’d asked for $502.7 million for this fiscal year, but never heard back from the Office of Management and Budget, Legal Services Corp.’s president, James Sandman, said last week.