The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a publicly funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by funding organizations providing civil legal aid to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it. The LSC was created in 1974 with bipartisan congressional sponsorship and the support of the Nixon administration, and LSC is funded through the congressional appropriations process.

LSC has a board of eleven directors, appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, that set LSC policy. By law, the board is bipartisan; no more than six members can come from the same party. LSC has a president and other officers who implement policies and oversee the corporation's operations.

By law, LSC's headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. In the 1970s and 1980s, LSC also had regional offices. LSC currently has one office in Washington, D.C. that administers all of LSC's work.

LSC is the largest single funder of civil legal aid in the country, distributing more than 90 percent of its total funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs. For Fiscal Year 2023, Congress appropriated $560 million to LSC to fund civil legal aid.

History

Background

LSC is one of the organizational descendants of the former Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, a key part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society vision, established the OEO. Building on the work of a 1964 essay, "The War on Poverty: A Civilian Perspective" by Edgar Cahn and Jean Camper Cahn, in 1965 OEO budgeted $1 million per year such as California Rural Legal Assistance,

By the early 1970s, the Nixon administration began dismantling the OEO; funding for legal services for the poor began to wither, and supporters looked for an alternative arrangement. at the same time, administration officials such as Attorney General John N. Mitchell and chief domestic advisor John Ehrlichman were proposing their own somewhat similar solution. The LSC Act contains certain rules and restrictions regarding what LSC grantees can do. Thomas Ehrlich, at the time the dean of Stanford Law School, became the LSC's first president.

Carter era

In December 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Hillary Rodham to the board of directors of the LSC, Rodham, an attorney with Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas and the wife of Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton, had a background in children's law and policy and had worked in providing legal services for the poor while at Yale Law School. She had also done 1976 campaign coordination work for Carter in Indiana. In mid-1978, the Carter administration chose the thirty-year-old Rodham to become chair of the board, the first woman to become so. Rodham was successful in getting increases in Congressional funding for LSC, stressing its usual role in providing low-income people with attorneys to assist them in commonplace legal issues and framed its funding as being neither a liberal nor a conservative cause. By her third year on the LSC board, Rodham had gotten the LSC budget tripled. Opposition to LSC during this time came from both Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner, who favored a "judicare" approach of compensating private lawyers for work done for the poor, with a budget of $303 million. Some 6,200 poverty lawyers filed suits using its funds on behalf of 1.5 million eligible poor clients; the lawyers won almost 80 percent of their cases, which mostly involved divorces, evictions, repossessions, and interrupted payments from federal agencies. Sometime between about April 1980 and September 1980, F. William McCalpin replaced her as chair of the board. He would remain chair through late 1981. The CRLA's executive director would characterize Reagan's attitude towards the organization as akin to that of Darth Vader.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee blocked Reagan's zero-funding action in May 1981, but did cut financing to $260 million for both of the next two years as well as place additional restrictions on LSC lawyers. as part of what The New York Times deemed an "increasingly bitter ideological struggle". In return the LSC began to set up "mirror corporations" to circumvent congressional restrictions and reuse funds for political advocacy. Olson had headed the Reagan transition team dealing with LSC and had personally recommended its abolition, so LSC advocates were not mollified. Rodham hired fellow Rose Law Firm associate Vince Foster to represent her in the case although Olson would remain on the board. was decided in favor of the defendants by summary judgment in October 1982. This board then closed its last meeting in a public debacle, with Olson lambasting LSC as full of "abuses and rampant illegality" and a "waste of the taxpayers' money through the funding of the left," Such actions against the LSC Act were not crimes, and the GAO report did not claim any crimes had taken place. A new set of much more extensive restrictions were added to LSC grantees. The organization's supporters expressed disappointment that the Clinton administration did not make LSC a critical priority in its budget battles with the Republican Congress, especially given Hillary Clinton's former role in it.

According to LSC's 2009 report "Documenting the Justice Gap in America: The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans," all legal aid offices nationwide, LSC-funded or not, were together able to meet only about 20 percent of the estimated legal needs of low-income people in the United States.

For 2007, LSC had a budget of some $350 million.

Obama era

thumb|John Eidleman, Senior Program Counsel of Legal Services Corporation, standing next to [[Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate and American Red Cross President and CEO Gail J. McGovern in Washington, D.C., on October 22, 2010.]]

In 2009 during the Obama administration, the LSC was on the path to getting a $50 million increase in its $390 million budget.

However, the LSC came under criticism from Senator Charles Grassley, who said, "There's just a lot of money being wasted," citing several General Accounting Office and Inspector General reports.

By fiscal 2011, the annual budget amount for the LSC was $420 million. In early 2011, House now-majority Republican proposed a $75 million reduction in that current-year amount, while Obama's suggestion budget proposed a $30 million increase for the subsequent year. LSC has strong bipartisan support on behalf of robust funding for LSC. External stakeholders, including members of the legal and business communities, state attorneys general, and law school deans across the country sent letters to the House and Senate appropriations committees advocating for robust funding for LSC. They included:

  • 252 General Counsels from some of the largest American businesses, including Apple, American Express, Google, Walmart, General Motors, and Walt Disney.
  • 181 law firms from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
  • The Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators.
  • 41 bipartisan state Attorneys General.
  • 167 Deans of law schools.

In addition, 209 members of the House of Representatives signed a bipartisan letter in support of funding for LSC, the largest number in history, and 46 bipartisan Senators signed a similar letter in support of funding for LSC. Ultimately, Trump signed into law increases in LSC funding during his tenure. Throughout Trump's presidency, Congress increased LSC's funding such that it eventually reached $490 million in Fiscal Year 2020, aided partly by a $50 million emergency supplement from the CARES Act. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Congress appropriated $465 million in Fiscal Year 2021 for LSC; this amount was an increase of $25 million over LSC's baseline appropriation (without the CARES Act supplement) of $440 million in the prior fiscal year.

Biden era

In 2021, President Joe Biden proposed a $600 million budget appropriation for LSC.

In March 2022, Congress passed an FY2022 appropriations bill in which they allocated $489 million to LSC.

Later in 2022, LSC asked for $1.26 billion for Fiscal Year 2023 and Biden proposed $700 million. Ultimately, for FY2023, Congress passed an FY2023 approprations bill in which they allocated $560 million to LSC, the highest ever real dollar amount appropriated to LSC.

Second Trump era

In Trump's second term, the administration's FY2026 proposed budget would eliminate funding for LSC.

Restrictions

Due to the up-and-down nature of LSC's political history, there are many restrictions on lobbying, advocacy, and general impact work which apply to LSC-funded organizations. Here they are broken into categories of expressly forbidden, forbidden with LSC funds, and expressly permitted.

Recipients may never:

  • Publicly identify LSC or the recipient with any partisan or nonpartisan political activity or a candidate for office, or encourage others to do so (45 CFR 1608.4)
  • Staff attorneys may not use their position or authority to influence elections or coerce anyone to contribute to a political cause (45 CFR 1608.5) or the 1996 Appropriations Act §504(a)(14))
  • Participate in legal activity seeking to desegregate elementary or secondary schools (LSC Act §1007(b)(9)) Others felt that the focus should be more narrowly defined to addressing individual legal issues.

Additionally, decrease in funding for programs supporting low-income litigants at the federal level has led to more funding for limited legal assistance at the state level.

Board of directors

The board of directors is composed of 11 members, who are appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate. Of these, majority must be members of the bar of the highest court of any state, and none can be a full-time employee of the federal government. No more than six of the members may be affiliated with the same political party. They are appointed to terms of three years, but they may continue to serve on the board until a successor is confirmed. A member may not serve more than three terms continuously.

The board elects a chairman from among its members annually. The current president of the LSC is Ronald S. Flagg, who was appointed effective February 20, 2020.

Current board members

The current board members :

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Past chairs

The chairs of the LSC board throughout its history have included:

  • Roger Conant Cramton
  • Hillary Rodham
  • F. William McCalpin
  • William F. Harvey
  • Robert Emmett McCarthy
  • William C. Durant III
  • George W. Wittgraf
  • Douglas S. Eakeley
  • Frank B. Strickland

Grant recipients

Alabama

  • Legal Services Alabama

Alaska

  • Alaska Legal Services Corporation

American Samoa

  • American Samoa Legal Aid
  • Uunai Legal Services Clinic

Arizona

  • Community Legal Services
  • Southern Arizona Legal Aid
  • DNA-Peoples Legal Services (an acronym for the Navajo phrase<br />"Dinébe'iiná Náhiiłna be Agha'diit'ahii" which means "attorneys who<br />work for the economic revitalization of The People": see [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711194207/http://www.dnalegalservices.org/Ourwork/AboutUs.aspx])

Arkansas

  • Legal Aid of Arkansas
  • Center for Arkansas Legal Services

California

  • California Indian Legal Services
  • Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
  • Central California Legal Services
  • Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
  • Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
  • Inland Counties Legal Services
  • Legal Services of Northern California
  • Legal Aid Society of San Diego
  • California Rural Legal Assistance
  • Bay Area Legal Aid
  • Legal Aid Society of Orange County

Colorado

  • Colorado Legal Services

Connecticut

  • Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut

Delaware

  • Legal Services Corporation of Delaware

District of Columbia

  • Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia

Florida

  • Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida
  • Florida Rural Legal Services
  • Legal Services of Greater Miami
  • Legal Services of North Florida
  • Bay Area Legal Services
  • Three Rivers Legal Services
  • Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida

Georgia

  • Atlanta Legal Aid Society
  • Georgia Legal Services Program

Guam

  • Guam Legal Services Corporation

Hawaii

  • Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
  • Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

Idaho

  • Idaho Legal Aid Services

Illinois

  • Legal Aid Chicago
  • Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation
  • Prairie State Legal Services

Indiana

  • Indiana Legal Services

Iowa

  • Iowa Legal Aid

Kansas

  • Kansas Legal Services

Kentucky

  • Legal Aid of the Bluegrass
  • Legal Aid Society of Louisville
  • Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky
  • Kentucky Legal Aid

Louisiana

  • Acadiana Legal Service Corporation
  • Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation

Maine

  • Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Maryland

  • Legal Aid Bureau

Massachusetts

  • Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association
  • South Coastal Counties Legal Services
  • Northeast Legal Aid
  • Community Legal Aid

Michigan

  • Legal Services of South Central Michigan
  • Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
  • Legal Services of Northern Michigan
  • Legal Aid of Western Michigan
  • Legal Aid and Defender Association
  • Michigan Indian Legal Services

Micronesia

  • Micronesian Legal Services

Minnesota

  • Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota
  • Central Minnesota Legal Services
  • Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Corporation
  • Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
  • Anishinabe Legal Services

Mississippi

  • North Mississippi Rural Legal Services
  • Mississippi Center for Legal Services

Missouri

  • Legal Aid of Western Missouri
  • Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
  • Mid-Missouri Legal Services Corporation
  • Legal Services of Southern Missouri

Montana

  • Montana Legal Services Association

Nebraska

  • Legal Aid of Nebraska

Nevada

  • Nevada Legal Services

New Hampshire

  • Legal Advice & Referral Center

New Jersey

  • Legal Services of Northwest Jersey
  • South Jersey Legal Services
  • Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation
  • Essex-Newark Legal Services Project
  • Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services
  • Central Jersey Legal Services

New Mexico

  • New Mexico Legal Aid

New York

  • Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York
  • Neighborhood Legal Services
  • Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee
  • Legal Services NYC
  • Staten Island Legal Services
  • Legal Assistance of Western New York
  • Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York
  • Legal Services of the Hudson Valley

North Carolina

  • Legal Aid of North Carolina

North Dakota

  • Legal Services of North Dakota

Ohio

  • Community Legal Aid Services
  • Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
  • Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
  • The Legal Aid Society of Columbus
  • Ohio State Legal Services
  • Legal Aid of Western Ohio
  • Southeastern Ohio Legal Services

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma Indian Legal Services
  • Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

Oregon

  • Legal Aid Services of Oregon

Pennsylvania

  • Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center
  • Laurel Legal Services
  • MidPenn Legal Services
  • Neighborhood Legal Services Association
  • North Penn Legal Services
  • Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services
  • Northwestern Legal Services
  • Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

  • Puerto Rico Legal Services
  • Community Law Office

Rhode Island

  • Rhode Island Legal Services

South Carolina

  • South Carolina Legal Services

South Dakota

  • East River Legal Services
  • Dakota Plains Legal Services

Tennessee

  • Legal Aid of East Tennessee
  • Memphis Area Legal Services
  • Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
  • West Tennessee Legal Services

Texas

  • Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
  • Lone Star Legal Aid
  • Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Utah

  • Utah Legal Services

Vermont

  • Legal Services Law Line of Vermont

Virgin Islands

  • Legal Services of the Virgin Islands

Virginia

  • Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society
  • Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia
  • Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
  • Virginia Legal Aid Society
  • Blue Ridge Legal Services
  • Potomac Legal Aid Society

Washington

  • Northwest Justice Project

West Virginia

  • Legal Aid of West Virginia

Wisconsin

  • Legal Action of Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin Judicare

Wyoming

  • Wyoming Legal Services

See also

  • State Justice Institute, another government-established non-profit that awards grants to improve the justice system
  • Martha Bergmark

References

Further reading

  • Legal Services Corporation Act (PDF/details) as amended in the GPO Statute Compilations collection — Legal Services Corporation Act is title X
  • Legal Services Corporation, "2014 Annual Report."
  • Legal Services Corporation, 2014, "By the Numbers: The Data Underlying Legal Aid Programs."
  • Remarks by Hillary Rodham Clinton on 25th Anniversary of Legal Services Corporation
  • Shepard, Kris "Rationing Justice: Poverty Lawyers and Poor People in the Deep South". BAton Rouge, LA.:Louisiana State University Press, 2009
  • Legal Services Corporation in the Federal Register
  • Payment to the Legal Services Corporation account on USAspending.gov
  • American Bar Association on LSC