In the week since President Trump proposed a budget that eliminates the Legal Services Corporation, civil legal aid has received a lot of media exposure, including stories in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and other major national outlets.
This coverage didn’t just happen; it is the result of anticipating and preparing for an exceedingly rare opportunity for civil legal aid to be at the center of the national conversation, and jumping into action.
Below is a list of select national media coverage featuring the work of many LSC-funded organizations, exploring the critical role of civil legal aid and the devastating impact on Americans if LSC were eliminated:
- ABA Journal (Trump budget eliminates Legal Services Corp. funding)
- ATTN (How Trump’s Budget Could Hurt Rural Voters Who Need Legal Help)
- *The Atlantic (What Will Happen to Americans Who Can’t Afford an Attorney?)
- Bloomberg Big Law (Trump to Cut Legal Aid, Lawyers Doubt Congress Will Approve)
- *The Guardian (Legal services in unprecedented danger under Trump’s budget proposal)
- *Huffington Post (Trump’s Budget Would Be Devastating To Poor Victims Of Domestic Abuse)
- International Business Times (Domestic Violence Victims Could Lose Funding To Hire Lawyers Under Trump Budget)
- *The Intercept (Donald Trump Plans to Eliminate Legal Aid Funding That Supports Survivors of Domestic Violence)
- National Law Journal (Legal Services Corp., Under Trump, Faces new Threat to Existence)
- *Newsweek (Trump Budget Cut Proposals Spark Outrage)
- *The New York Times (Trump Budget Cuts Put Struggling Americans on Edge)
- Wall Street Journal (Proposed Trump Budget Would End Legal Services Corp.)
* For these pieces, Voices was either a spokesperson or provided support to the clients who shared their stories.
In local and statewide media, we saw stories, radio interviews, editorials, and op-eds from Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, West Virginia. (If you know of coverage that is not reflected here, please let us know.)
What next?
Because we know that the federal budget will be back in the spotlight again soon, we encourage you to prepare now for the next opportunity. We invite you to start by taking these three steps:
- Join the JusticeVoices network – where the real-time action is. (If you think you might already be a member, but aren’t sure, go ahead and sign up. Be sure to check the box next to “Yes! I want to be a member of JusticeVoices.”)
- Review this one-pager, and these talking points(both prepared by Voices staff).
- Engage with the media (e.g., invite a reporter to visit your office, attend a clinic, or sit in the courtroom and witness civil legal aid in action; write an op-ed or letter to the editor). Voices is here to brainstorm ideas, review drafts, etc. We want to help. Ask us.