[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 23, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2014

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, Friday, July 25, marks the 40th anniversary 
of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). In 1974, Congress--with 
bipartisan support, including that of President Nixon--established LSC 
to be a major source of funding for civil legal aid in this country. 
LSC is a private, nonprofit corporation, funded by Congress, with the 
mission to ensure equal access to justice under law for all Americans 
by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be 
unable to afford it. LSC distributes nearly 94 percent of its annual 
Federal appropriations to 134 local legal aid programs, with nearly 800 
offices serving every congressional district and U.S. territory.
   LSC-funded legal aid programs make a crucial difference to millions 
of Americans by assisting with the most basic civil legal needs. These 
low-income Americans are women seeking protection from domestic 
violence, mothers trying to obtain child support or navigate custody 
hearings, families facing unlawful evictions or foreclosures that could 
leave them homeless, veterans seeking benefits duly earned, seniors 
defending against consumer scams, and individuals who have lost their 
jobs and need help in applying for unemployment compensation and other 
benefits.
   In my district, LSC provides funding to Neighborhood Legal Services 
of Los Angeles County, an organization which provided legal aid to over 
4,600 clients last year and looks to increase that number this year. 
But despite that enormous contribution to our society and an increasing 
demand for their services, Neighborhood Services of Los Angeles County, 
and many of its sister institutions across the country, have seen their 
LSC funding diminish in recent years.
   Given the vital role played by LSC-funded attorneys, we need to do 
better than turn away more than 50 percent of eligible clients who seek 
assistance because of lack of LSC program resources. With the growing 
number of Americans eligible for services and increased demand for 
legal services, the need for legal aid attorneys has never been 
greater. On this anniversary, I salute the Legal Services Corporation 
and LSC-funded attorneys for the vital work they do every day on behalf 
of Americans who need qualified counsel, as well as the thousands of 
attorneys who contribute pro bono services to clients in need. Every 
day that a legal aid attorney protects the safety, security and health 
of our most vulnerable citizens, they bring this nation closer to 
living up to its commitment to equal justice for all.

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