Attorney General Ford, 41 States Urge Congress to Fund Legal Services Corporation


May 1, 2019

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    Broad, Bipartisan Letter Requests Robust Funding for LSC to Expand Access to Legal Services for Millions of Americans

      Carson City, NV - Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford wrote to the U.S. House and U.S. Senate Committees on Appropriations to request funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the Fiscal Year 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. AG Ford is joined by a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in this letter.

        LSC is a nonprofit legal services organization established by Congress in 1974 to promote equal access to justice for all Americans by funding independent nonprofit legal aid programs across the county. LSC provides millions of dollars in funding to legal aid organizations that serve and support low-income individuals, veterans and military families, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, victims of natural disasters and disabled individuals.

          "Each year, organizations funded through the Legal Services Corporation serve approximately a million low-income individuals and families," said AG Ford. "However, due to a lack of adequate resources, millions more who request assistance are turned away. With this letter, my fellow attorneys general and I are lending a voice to these millions of underserved individuals, and assuring them that their needs are at the forefront of this request for expanded funding."

            LSC distributes more than 90 percent of its funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs with more than 800 offices. A bipartisan board of directors leads this organization, whose 11 members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. LSC-funded programs help people who live in households with annual incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Clients come from every ethnic and age group, and live in rural, suburban and urban areas. They represent the working poor, veterans, homeowners and renters, families with children, farmers, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Women, many of whom are struggling to keep their children safe and their families together, comprise 70% of clients.

              In addition to Nevada, the following states and territories participated in today's letter: Alaska, American Samoa, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

                To view the letters issued to the House and Senate, click on their respective links.

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