LCCR Urges Congress to Rollback Draconian Legal Services Restrictions
Statements & Testimony
On January 6, 2009, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), with the goal of ensuring effective national civil rights policy, sent a letter to the 111th Congress outlining what it considers to be the most pressing legislative priorities for this Congress. Among other reforms, LCCR urges Congress, in the next year, to:
Remove restrictions on legal services for low-income communities: As the nation struggles under the burgeoning economic crisis and record numbers of Americans are threatened with the loss of their homes, civil legal aid is more critical than ever. However, an outdated, illconceived, and inefficient law cuts deeply into the ability of low-income and minority communities to obtain a fair day in court. Restrictions in the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) appropriation rider prohibit vulnerable legal aid clients from joining class actions, claiming court-ordered attorneys' fee awards, or having their lawyers engage in other types of advocacy. The restrictions also prohibit certain legal immigrants, all undocumented immigrants, and people in prison from relying on legal aid lawyers at all. Finally, a particularly draconian restriction extends all of these restrictions to the non-LSC funds -- state, local and private funds -- of recipient programs as soon as they accept their first dollar in LSC funds. These restrictions, starting with the restriction on state, local and private funds, should be removed from the next rider to the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.
To download the full version of LCCR's letter to Congress, click here.