New York Times Editorial on Legal Service Funding Cuts
On March 8, 2011, The New york Times published an editorial criticizing the recent vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, cutting $83 million from President Obama's budget request of $407 million to support the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the federally financed nonprofit program that provides civil legal help to low-income Americans. Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania received nearly $1.3 million in funding support from LSC this year, more than a quarter of its budget.
The editorial cites LSC projections that this cut would force lay-offs of at least 370 staff attorneys across the country - almost 10% of all LSC supported lawyers. It notes that LSC funded programs are also facing cuts in state budget allocations and that funds available through the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program have plummeted due to historically low interest rates. The editorial concludes, "Given the economic crisis, and the long line of desperate clients, this is the worst time to be cutting federal support for civil legal services." You can read the full text of the editorial on the New York Times website.