154 Law Firms in all 50 States Sign Letter Asking Congress to Increase LSC Funding
Contact
Carl Rauscher
Director of Communications and Media Relations
rauscherc@lsc.gov
202-295-1615
WASHINGTON—A letter signed by 154 law firms requests that Congress increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in FY 2025. In their June 7 letter, the law firms—which have offices in all 50 states—write to emphasize that the critical need for legal aid in their communities has outpaced financial support for legal services through LSC.
“Congressional appropriations to LSC have been increasing in recent years, and while this is a step in the right direction, it is still not enough to keep up with inflation, the aftermath of the pandemic, and increasing need for legal services – and is still significantly below inflation-adjusted dollars two decades ago,” the letter says. “Moreover, LSC funding is money well spent in our local communities.”
The law firms state that studies in Cleveland and Philadelphia have demonstrated significant return-on-investment for supporting legal aid programs. They also note that LSC-grantees play a critical role in facilitating private lawyers’ pro bono assistance to people who cannot afford a lawyer.
“We could not provide pro bono legal services without partnerships with LSC-funded legal aid organizations, which screen cases for merit and eligibility, conduct trainings, and mentor our attorneys,” they write. “The pro bono activity facilitated by LSC funding is exactly the kind of public-private partnership the government should continue to encourage.”
The full letter and the list of 154 signatory law firms is available to read here.
This letter comes as the latest in a series of external stakeholder letters in support of fully funding LSC for FY 2025. These other letters were endorsed by 39 bipartisan state attorneys general, 147 general counsels of America’s largest businesses, 84 law school deans, and the national Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators.