Tougher Restriction on Funds Limits Equal Access to Civil Justice - December 2, 2003 Vol.4, No.24

December 2, 2003 Vol.4, No.24:

Published: 12/02/2003

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Tougher Restriction on Funds Limits Equal Access to Civil Justice

Efforts to provide legal assistance to members of low-income communities are hampered by federal restrictions on funds according to reports by The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

This report uncovers the history of civil legal aid for low-income people, describing congressional support for, and opposition to, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) from its inception to the present day. The report offers recommendations to make legal aid stronger, calling on Congress to re-examine its 1996 restrictions on funds for the Legal Services Corporation. One of these restrictions bans legal services programs from using their private dollars for lobbying or class action litigation.

Legal Services Corporation was established in 1975 by the Legal Services Corporation Act, and is the federal granting entity for legal assistance. In 1994, conservatives tried to eliminate LSC. In 1996, Congress cut LSC funds by 30 percent. In 2003, President Bush appointed a new board to LSC. For more information on the history of the LSC, read the CLASP report, Equal Justice for All: A Brief History of Civil Legal Assistance in the United States.