The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has announced that it is awarding more than $600,000 in Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants to two Illinois legal aid providers. Land of Lincoln Legal Aid will receive $369,179 and Legal Aid of Chicago (LAC) will receive $256,496.
These are two of 15 legal aid organizations receiving a grant. In total, LSC is awarding $4.75 million to support the growth of pro bono legal services for low-income Americans.
Last year, 74% of low-income households faced at least one civil legal problem, according to LSC’s recently released Justice Gap report. Alarmingly, low-income Americans received no or insufficient legal help for 92% of their substantial civil legal problems. Expanding pro bono and other volunteer services will allow civil legal aid providers to better address these urgent, unmet needs.
“Meeting the vast legal needs of low-income Americans is a tough job for legal aid providers with limited resources,” said LSC President Ronald S. Flagg. “Engaging pro bono attorneys and volunteers adds a powerful network that multiplies the impact of these organizations.”
LSC awarded these grants from its Pro Bono Innovation Fund included in its FY 2022 congressional appropriation. Since 2014, LSC has awarded 121 grants totaling more than $35 million. Each organization’s project involves innovative solutions to persistent challenges in pro bono delivery systems that can be replicated by other service providers across the country.
With its grant, Land of Lincoln will establish the Justice in Schools Project (JSP) in partnership with East St. Louis School District 189 and volunteer attorneys to provide civil legal services to students’ families. JSP will engage volunteers from area law firms and corporate legal departments to provide advice, brief service and extended representation to District 189 families with civil legal issues impacting their health, safety and economic security.
LAC first received a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant in 2020 to support the Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline Project. Its 2022 grant will help to sustain the project. In the first sixteen months, the project has provided services in more than 160 expungement cases with a 100% success rate for the 73 cases that have gone to disposition. LAC has also recruited 38 pro bono attorneys and created e-learning modules for both the juvenile expungement and the school discipline aspects of the project.
Members of Illinois’ congressional delegation congratulated Land of Lincoln and LAC on receiving pro bono grants.
“Providing pro bono services to families with legal issues impacting their health, safety, and economic security can make life-changing differences,” said Senator Dick Durbin. “These federal funds will support the Legal Service Corporation’s mission to ensure that all people have equal access to our system of justice.”
“For many years, the Legal Aid Chicago operated an office across the hall from my district office and it was a great pleasure to see the attorneys early in the mornings and late into the evenings working in behalf of their disadvantaged and needy clients,” said Rep. Danny Davis (IL-7) “From my vantage point, these legal aid lawyers are the salt of the earth, pillars of the universe, and I am delighted that the organization is receiving this grant.”
“Legal Aid Chicago provides exceptional, much-needed legal services across the Chicagoland area, and I am thrilled to see them receive this recognition and support,” said Rep. Marie Newman (IL-3). “Their work exemplifies how the legal system can be a tool to build a more just and equal community. Supporting Legal Aid Chicago means supporting one of the region’s toughest fighters against poverty and inequality.”
“I am deeply grateful to learn that Legal Services Corporation is awarding Legal Aid Chicago with a grant to support their initiative of addressing institutional racism and helping Chicago’s youth achieve success,” said Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5). “Their Disrupting the School-to-Prison pipeline program has already shown incredible success and I am eager to see what they can achieve for our city’s young people through this grant. I have had the pleasure of working with Legal Services Corporation and Legal Aid Chicago for many years and I hope to continue our partnerships for years to come.”