The ABArray Legal Aid Funding Report allows users to access an online array of civil legal aid funding data from 2003 to the present time, displayed in chart format. Collection of the data is conducted annually by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense (SCLAID), through its Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives. The ABArray interface is updated as new data becomes available through the annual data collection process.
About the Dashboards
All ABArray data array dashboards are intended to provide an estimate of resources available (whether nationally or within a state), to guide and enhance resource development by funding advocates. The information provided within the charts is approximate and voluntarily provided on a periodic basis by contributors across the country; therefore, SCLAID cannot guarantee that the data precisely or completely represent the actual amount of funding for civil legal aid that has been available nationally each year. The information changes rapidly, and significant amounts of funding in each state are “unstable” and may not be available in subsequent years.
Information Sources
All resource amounts, except Legal Services Corporation (LSC) data, have been gathered by the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives from various sources, including individual legal services programs, state IOLTA programs, bar associations and foundations, and state government offices.
Data Collection Periods
With some exceptions, data for each year displayed within the ABArray charts were gathered according to the following timeframes (for detailed information regarding a specific year or years, please contact ABArray@americanbar.org):
- LSC amounts correspond to the current fiscal year.
- Court Fees & Fines and State Appropriation amounts correspond to the current year legislative session.
- Most other amounts correspond to programs’ year-end reports for the prior fiscal year, which is usually the most recent data available.
National Level Data vs. State Level Data
Data for ABArray is gathered at the individual program level, then aggregated and displayed at either the national or state level. National level charts contain the total national amount of legal aid funding (reported by funding category) and are available on the public portion of the ABArray website. State-level dashboards are displayed on a restricted portion of the ABArray website accessible to only those programs with licenses to view the dashboards.
Restrictions on State Level Data
The dissemination of detailed state and program-level data is governed by SCLAID’s Data Privacy Policy, which recognizes that data-providers may use their own state data as they choose. However, whenever a data provider wants to use comparison data from any other states, prior permission must be obtained from the other states’ data providers. In other words, if you have access to state-level charts, you may NOT share information regarding any other state besides your own with anyone outside of your program without prior permission from that state’s data providers. Many of our sources agreed to provide data to us on the condition that such data would not be broadly distributed, and we honor our commitment to those sources. To help users obtain the necessary permissions, a comprehensive list of data-providers will be posted on the restricted portion of the ABArray website.
Contact Information of Data Providers
All programs that provide data for the ABArray Legal Aid Funding Report will be listed within the restricted portion of the website solely for the purpose of providing contact information for data providers seeking permission to use data from states other than their own. By participating in the ABArray data collection process, you consent to this listing of your program’s contact information for this express purpose.
Downloading/Printing Charts
Users may export and/or download the data charts, including customized data selections. To do so, simply click the “download” button at the bottom right of any ABArray chart and select the data panel you wish to download. Be advised that all materials contained on the ABArray website are protected by United States copyright law. Before downloading or reproducing any of these materials, please carefully review the ABA Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy.
Questions?
Contact ABArray@americanbar.org.