Page 257 - 2024 Orientation Manual

the state funding of $500,000 included in the Governor’s Executive Budget for the Legal
Services Programs. However, with changes of administrations and reduced state budgets,
the Legal Services Programs had not received any appropriation since FY 2011.

After almost a decade of no funding for civil legal aid, with a budget surplus the Louisiana
Legal Services programs in July 2020 received $500,000 in supplemental funds for FY
2019-20. With increased coordination and engagement of a lobbying firm, the Louisiana
Legal Services Programs were able to obtain a $500,000 appropriation for FY 2020-21,
and again for FY 2021-2022. In FY 2022-2023 the Committee achieved its goal of
obtaining a $1 million appropriation dedicated to Louisiana Civil Legal Services. This was
again received in FY 2023-24 and is currently in the FY2024-25 budget.

Louisiana Appleseed has previously contributed to funding efforts by hiring lobbyists to
assist the ATJ Commission’s Funding Committee to obtain state funding for civil legal aid.
These efforts have been critical to renewed funding of civil legal aid in Louisiana.
Unfortunately, funding for this vital component of the state funding efforts no longer exists.

In recent years, Louisiana Appleseed and the Committee hosted an educational event for
legislators focused on the importance of civil legal aid to their constituents, the state, and
our economy. Additionally, members of the Funding Committee annually travel to Baton
Rouge to conduct a “Civil Legal Aid Day at the Capitol” where Funding Committee
members and ATJ supporters bring awareness of the issue to legislators. Educational
material is distributed to all legislators in advance of this day.

In prior years, the ATJ Director also coordinated participation of LSBA leadership in ABA
Day in Washington DC, an organized lobbying event at which Bar leaders meet with each
member of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to encourage adequate funding of the
Legal Services Corporation, the major funder of Louisiana’s largest legal services entities.
For 2020-2022, Bar leaders participated in virtual meetings in light of the COVID-19
pandemic. In 2024, our colleagues at the LBF visited Louisiana’s Congressional
delegation.

Access to Justice Fund
The Access to Justice Fund is an LBF Fund which supports specific access to justice needs
related to at least one of the following issues: Statewide Technology, Statewide Intake and
Referral, or Disaster Response. The ATJ Committee identifies eligible projects and
recommends allocation of funds to the LBF. The source of funding is an LSBA dues check-
off which allows attorneys to make a financial contribution to civil legal aid. This year,
grants were made to three organizations for projects that would truly benefit the entire ATJ
Community.

Accessibility Committee, Chair Professor Luz Molina
In the last few years, the Language Access Committee, with the help of the Supreme Court’s Office
of Language Access, has made great strides in identifying and addressing language access issues

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