The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved funding legislation on April 26, 2012 that provides $328 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Fiscal Year 2013, a cut of $20 million from current levels.

The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) marked up funding legislation on April 19, 2012 that provides $328 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Fiscal Year 2013.

Most of LSC’s funding is used to support local nonprofit organizations via grants for the delivery of civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. LSC funding was approximately $404 million in Fiscal Year 2011 before falling to $348 million in Fiscal Year 2012.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) on Tuesday approved funding legislation that provides $402 million for the Legal Services Corporation, a $54 million increase from current levels.

Most of the funding would provide grants to nonprofit legal aid programs to deliver civil legal assistance to low-income Americans who request help to avert foreclosures, escape domestic violence, deal with consumer fraud and appeal denial of veterans’ benefits, as well as other critical matters.

Request is an increase of $54 million from current funding

The Legal Services Corporation reports that White House has recommended $402 million in funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Fiscal Year 2013, an increase of $54 million from current funding.

About 94 percent of the White House request - $376.8 million - would provide grants to nonprofit legal aid programs to deliver civil legal assistance to low-income Americans who request help to avert foreclosures, escape domestic violence, deal with consumer fraud and appeal denial of veterans’ benefits, as well as other critical matters.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) will be holding a webinar about the 2012 Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) funding cycle on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:30 p.m. EST. The webinar will cover:

• Eligibility for the TIG program;
• 2012 Areas of Interest;
• The application process, including Letters of Intent (LOIs); and
• The online application system.

Go to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/232473918 to register for this free webinar.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) reports that the nonprofit programs funded by LSC to deliver civil legal assistance to low-income Americans are implementing layoffs and staff reductions because of budget constraints, based on a survey conducted by LSC.

According to the survey, LSC-funded programs anticipate laying off 393 employees, including 163 attorneys, in 2012. The reductions continue a staffing downturn that began about a year ago. In December 2010, LSC-funded programs employed 4,351 attorneys, 1,614 paralegals and 3,094 support staff. During 2011, LSC programs reduced their staffing by 833 positions through layoffs and attrition. They now anticipate a new round of layoffs this year, bringing the staffing loss to 1,226 full-time personnel.

The survey was conducted in late December and early January, and 132 of the 135 nonprofit legal aid programs funded by LSC responded. Eight of the regional programs of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, serving individuals and families in Pennsylvania, are among the programs receiving funding from the Legal Services Corporation.

Op-Ed piece appearing in the Harrisburg Patriot-News by PLAN Board President Gerald A. McHugh and PLAN Board Member James DeAngelo outlining the effects of recent cuts to legal aid funding.

Annual Legal Services Funding to be Reduced by 10% During Remainder of Fiscal Year

With commonwealth revenues continuing to come in below estimate for the 2011-12 fiscal year, Governor Tom Corbett has directed his Budget Office to freeze nearly $160 million in state spending.

The governor also has asked government entities not under his jurisdiction to reduce their spending by nearly $66 million.

Sam Milkes, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, indicated that this includes a 10% freeze in legal services funding, resulting in a shortfall of $274,000 for the Pennsylvania agencies that provide civil legal services to the poor. Milkes stated that the 10% cut is devastating in that it is occurring half way through the programs' fiscal year effectively cutting funding by 20% for the remainder of the year.

This editorial from the Harrisburg Patriot-News appeared on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The editorial discusses upcoming funding cuts for legal aid in Pennsylvania and urges the creation of a stable funding strategy for legal aid so the poor and needy have access to attorneys.

A congressional agreement for Fiscal Year 2012 funding would provide $348 million to the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). Of that, $322.4 million would fund basic field grants for the delivery of civil legal assistance to low-income Americans.

LSC is currently funded at $398.1 million under an interim FY 2012 bill that expires on November 18. LSC currently provides $372.9 million in grants to 136 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.

The House-Senate conference agreement would cut LSC’s overall funding by 13.9 percent and funding for basic field grants by 14.8 percent. The agreement is scheduled to be taken up for a vote on the House floor this week.

The House had proposed $300 million in LSC funding for FY 2012, and the Senate had recommended $396.1 million.

Funding for LSC rose to $420 million in FY 2010 and dropped to $404.2 million in FY 2011. The last time LSC was funded at $348 million was in 2007.