[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 117 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. TOM COLE

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2014

  Mr. COLE. 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. territories.
  LSC-funded legal aid programs make a crucial difference to millions 
of Americans by assisting with the most basic civil legal needs, such 
as addressing matters involving safety, subsistence, and family 
stability. These low-income Americans are women seeking protection from 
abuse, mothers trying to obtain child support, 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.
  It is LSC-funded attorneys who help parents obtain and keep custody 
of their children, assist parents in enforcing child support payments 
and help women who are victims of domestic violence. In fact, three out 
of four legal aid clients are women, and legal aid programs identify 
domestic violence as one of their top priorities.
  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. 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.

                          ____________________