Overview
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), is the single largest provider of civil legal aid in the nation, distributing 95% of its federal appropriation to 136 legal aid programs, with over 900 offices, nationwide; at least one LSC grantee is present in each of the fifty states. LSC grantees provide direct services to approximately one million constituents who struggle to get by on incomes below or near the poverty line.
Those benefiting from LSC-funded programs are among the most vulnerable Americans, including veterans returning from combat, domestic violence victims, those coping with the after-effects of natural disasters, families involved in child custody disputes, people with disabilities, and individuals undergoing foreclosures or other housing issues. Due to economic conditions, the number of people who qualify for legal services is at an all-time high; over 63 million Americans, including 22 million children, now are eligible for civil legal assistance.
Currently, LSC is funded at $348 million for FY12, a significant reduction from the FY11 level of $404.2 million. The will continue to speak out strongly on behalf of LSC funding through an ongoing grassroots legislative advocacy campaign involving , state, local and specialty bar leaders as the appropriations process for FY13 begins.
