Center for Arkansas Legal Services Awarded $394,000 to Boost Pro Bono Services
WASHINGTON—The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today that it is awarding a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant of $394,344 to the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS).
CALS is one of 17 legal aid organizations receiving a grant. In total, LSC is awarding $5 million to support efforts to expand and improve pro bono legal services for low-income Americans.
In the face of a vast justice gap—where low-income people do not receive sufficient legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems—pro bono services are one of the approaches that LSC advances to address the disparities in access to justice. Expanding pro bono and other volunteer services gives legal aid providers increased bandwidth to assist low-income Americans in civil issue areas like housing, family, employment and income maintenance, consumer debt, and natural disaster recovery.
With this grant, CALS will develop its Pro Bono Working Group by conducting a rigorous assessment of its pro bono services and hiring a new Pro Bono Subject Area Manager. The manager will spearhead the creation of a criminal record-sealing clinic and related community outreach efforts. This program will allow CALS to better leverage pro bono services in a highly impactful area of client need.
“LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund supports grantees’ tireless efforts to expand access to legal services,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “Pro bono volunteers are an invaluable resource for the millions of low-income Americans in need of legal aid.”
LSC is awarding these grants from its Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF) included in its FY 2023 congressional appropriation. Since the inception of PBIF in 2014, LSC has awarded 139 grants totaling more than $40 million. Each organization’s project involves creating solutions to persistent challenges in pro bono delivery systems or exploring new ways to implement pro bono services to reach low-income Americans with legal needs. The funds are directed to grantee projects that are replicable and scalable, and which focus on critical, unmet needs.
Senator John Boozman congratulated CALS on receiving the grant for pro bono services.
“This grant will enhance legal services available to Arkansans regardless of their financial situation,” Sen. Boozman said. “I’m pleased to support this funding that will connect individuals and families with community resources to help foster a brighter future.”
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 131 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
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Contact
Carl Rauscher
Director of Communications and Media Relations
rauscherc@lsc.gov
202-295-1615