Law firms across the country are rallying behind legal aid as the federal administration’s intentions to cut LSC funding become more clear. Despite only taking up a fraction of the national budget, it appears the White House wants to scrap federal legal aid funding, claiming that legal services are best supported through state and local grants. What they may not realize is that LSC grantees’ federal funding generally only accounts for half of their budget, with the rest already being made up of state and IOLTA funding.
In California alone, LSC funding supports 11 legal aid organizations that help over 200,000 people annually. If these organizations lose half of their funding, the results could be devastating on poor and low-income communities across the state.
Take it from more than 150 of the nation’s largest law firms; the Legal Services Corporation is too important to cut.
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Services Corporation (LSC)