The ABA Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) team is excited to join once again with many national, state, and local bar leaders and association members to advocate on several key issues important to the legal profession this ABA Day, April 10th and 11th, including funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). This year also marks LSC’s 50th Anniversary.
Congress created LSC in 1974 to ensure that low-income individuals and families would have the ability to access counsel for their civil legal needs. LSC is committed to promoting equal access to justice by funding high-quality civil legal assistance for low-income Americans. To this day, it remains the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country.
LSC funds local legal aid programs in every congressional district, serving many thousands of constituents each year. Eligible people span every demographic, and over 53 million Americans qualify for legal assistance with the program.
Through its history, LSC has served millions of low-income Americans who otherwise would not have access to legal assistance. Although LSC has helped many of those in need, 92 percent of the civil legal problems of low-income Americans received inadequate or no legal assistance at all, according to LSC’s 2022 Justice Gap Report.
LSC received 4 million requests last year for legal assistance, but nearly 50 percent of cases went unaddressed because of a lack of resources and funding. These requests for assistance included issues with domestic violence, healthcare, housing, and veterans’ benefits.
As LSC enters its 50th year, there is no better way to honor the work of the organization and ensure its future success than by advocating this ABA Day to ensure that LSC gets the tools and funding it needs to help even more vulnerable Americans in need of legal assistance.
During panel presentations, roundtable discussions, and one-on-one chats, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and advocate for robust LSC funding. We also tailor specific letters in our Congressional Messaging Portal that you can send directly to congressional offices to advocate for LSC funding, bypassing congressional firewalls.
Whether in-person on Capitol Hill or by using the ABA’s online toolkit, please urge your Senators and Representatives in Congress to substantially increase funding for the LSC in order to meet the civil legal needs of all low-income Americans.
If you need any help—or have any additional questions—the GAO team will be happy to assist you at ABA Day. To win this fight, let’s all come together to advocate for those who need it the most.
See you soon online and in Washington, D.C.!