This workshop was held at the 2018 Equal Justice Conference in San Diego, California. Title: Hot Topics in Legal Aid Presenters: Hon. Lora Livingston, Travis County Courts, Austin, TX James Sandman, Legal Services Corporation, Washington, DC Don Saunders, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Washington, DC This session will provide an overview of the most critical issues affecting the delivery of civil legal assistance in the U.S. Among the topics to be covered: 1) LSC funding and challenges in the administration and 115th Congress; 2) other developments at the Legal Services Corporation; 3) Access to Justice Commission highlights; 4) federal developments affecting Public Service Loan Forgiveness; 5) Cy pres challenges; 6) developments at the ABA; 7) non-lsc federal funding update; 8) the Justice for All grant program; and 9) other matters of interest.
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Agenda 2017 Grant Activity Reports Leadership Transitions at LSC Grantees Achieving 100% Access to Justice Education and Outreach 2
2017 Grant Activity Reports 3
Total Case Closures by Year, 2008-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 4
Total Pro Bono Case Closures by Year, 2011-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 5
State-Level Variations in Case Closures, 2016-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 6
Distribution of Case Closures by Problem Category, 2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 7
Funding by Source and Year, 2008-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 8
Non-LSC Federal Funding by Source, 2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 9
Non-LSC Funding by Source and Year, 2008-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 10
Percent of Non-LSC Funding by State, 2017 11
Top 5 States and Bottom 5 States in Terms of State and Local Grant Making to LSC Grantees, 2017 Top 5 States Bottom 5 States State Total Dollars ($) Change from Prior Year (%) Dollars Per 1,000 Persons in Poverty (125%) - 2016 State Total Dollars ($) Change from Prior Year (%) Dollars Per 1,000 Persons in Poverty (125%) - 2016 New York $ 56,991,139.66 15.0% $ 15,719.31 Texas $ 40,719,598.93 25.0% $ 7,213.04 Arkansas $ 55,507.54 245.8% $ 82.35 Mississippi $ 44,751.00-80.4% $ 57.99 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) California $ 27,271,067.28-2.5% $ 3,698.95 New Hampshire $ 34,131.00-93.3% $ 264.63 New Jersey $ 15,396,543.53-13.6% $ 12,657.88 Washington $ 13,712,933.00 1.1% $ 12,825.05 Connecticut $ 24,878.00 0.0% $ 55.63 Alabama $ 1,500.00-99.4% $ 1.42 State and Local: General State Grants, Local Grants, and Specific State Grants and Contracts 12
Percentage of Funding from LSC, 2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 13
Change in Staff Composition Over Time, 2008-2017 (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) 14
Executive Director Transitions: 2013 2017 Total Transitions: 62 (52 Programs) 2013 (8 Programs) 2014 (11 Programs) 2015 (11 Programs) 2016 (16 Programs) 2017 (17 Programs) California Indian Legal Services, Inc. Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of KY Chart / Graph Title Here American Samoa Legal Aid Acadiana Legal Service Corporation Anishinabe Legal Services, Inc. Dakota Plains Legal Services, Inc. Bay Area Legal Aid (CA) Central California Legal Services Anishinabe Legal Services, Inc. Bay Area Legal Aid (CA) DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. Community Legal Services of Mid- Florida, Inc. Central California Legal Services Central California Legal Services Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. Legal Aid of Nebraska Indiana Legal Services, Inc. Legal Advice & Referral Center, Inc. (NH) Community Legal Aid Services, Inc. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (permanent appointed) Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (KY) Laurel Legal Services, Inc. (PA) Legal Aid of East Tennessee DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. Legal Services of Eastern Michigan Legal Services of North Dakota Legal Aid of Nebraska East River Legal Services Legal Aid of Western Michigan Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Legal Services of Southern Missouri Legal Aid of Northwest Texas Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc. Legal Services of North Louisiana, Inc. Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. Puerto Rico Legal Services, Inc. Legal Aid of Western Missouri Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc. (interim appointed) Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc. (permanent hired) Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc. Legal Aid of Western Missouri Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. (FL) Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Assn. Legal Aid Society (KY) Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. Wisconsin Judicare, Inc. Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, Inc. Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Inc. Legal Services Alabama, Inc. Legal Services of North Florida, Inc. Legal Services of North Louisiana, Inc. Neighborhood Legal Services Program of D.C. Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Inc. Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Legal Services Alabama, Inc. Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. Neighborhood Legal Services Program Note: Grantees may appear in consecutive years, as appointments of Interim and Permanent Executive Directors are shown. 15
Achieving 100% Access to Justice Justice For All Grants Justice For All strategic plans 7 states Justice For All implementation grants 16
Achieving 100% Access to Justice Microsoft Portal Project
Education and Outreach Capitol Hill More than 100 meetings with House/Senate Members and staff since Feb. 12 release of White House FY19 Budget House Letter in Support of FY19 Funding for LSC to Appropriations CJS Subcommittee Led by Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA), and 181 signers; 30 Republican Members (59.8%) (57.7%) (56.4%) (56.7%) Senate Letter in Support of FY19 Funding for LSC to Appropriations CJS Subcommittee Led by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) April 11 deadline 18
House Support for LSC Funding Members Who Signed Letters Supporting LSC Funding, 2014-2019 Republican Support Democratic Support 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 30 10 3 0 0 1 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 151 138 121 120 103 72 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 19
Sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) Panelists: Education and Outreach United States Senate Briefing on Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria: The Role of Legal Aid in Disaster Recovery Saundra Brown, Directing Attorney of Disaster Legal Services, Lone Star Legal Aid, TX Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, Supreme Court of Florida Monica Vigues-Pitan, Executive Director, Legal Services of Greater Miami, FL 20
Education and Outreach United States House of Representatives Briefing on How Medical- Legal Partnerships Assist Victims of Opioid Addiction Sponsored by the Congressional Access to Civil Legal Services Caucus Panelists: Stephanie Harris, Development Director, Ohio State Legal Services Association Jon Laramore, Executive Director, Indiana Legal Services Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, Medical-Legal Partnership Attorney, Community Legal Aid, Massachusetts Tarra Simmons, former client of Northwest Justice Project, Washington 21
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