Budget increase for legal services

The House of Representatives has approved a $40 million budget increase for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as part of the fiscal 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. The Legal Services Corporation is the single largest provider of civil legal aid for the poor in the nation. Established by Congress in 1974, the Corporation operates as a private, nonprofit organization to promote equal access to justice and to provide high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. The 11 percent increase would bring funding for the Corporation to a total of $390 million, the third consecutive year that the House has supported additional funding to provide civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. Most of the funding, $365.8 million, would be awarded as competitive grants to 137 nonprofit legal aid programs across the nation. For the full story go here.