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o Create and execute a communication campaign to increase
awareness of civil legal aid and the efforts of the Louisiana
Access to Justice Commission
The LBF has hired PR firm to coordinate awareness of LBF civil
legal aid involvement.
Justice for All grant work established communication planning
as an important ongoing responsibility. Working with Voices for
Civil Justice consultants, a meeting was held on January 22nd,
to begin development of a communications plan.
Voices for Civil Justice created a communication plan and is
assisting with execution. As part of the Voices for Civil Justice
communication plan, three news reports highlighting the JFA
findings were published across the state. On April 28, 2021 an
article was published in the Concordia Sentinel. On April 29,
2021 a TV segment aired on KNOE 8 in Monroe, and on April
30th an op-ed ran in the Advocate written by Rep Gary Carter
calling for an increased state appropriation for Louisiana’s legal
service organizations.
▪ Facilitate coordinated resource development.
o Coordinate criminal justice reinvestment grant application
Legal aid providers, Justice and Accountability Center, LBF,
Louisiana Appleseed, LA Public Defender Board, and the LSBA
have identified alternative funds through the Justice
Reinvestment reforms passed in 2017. The group submitted a
grant application in July 2019 to facilitate the coordinated
provision of legal services. The group is in the process of
assessing application submission for this year.
o Create stakeholder group to identify alternative funding options
Conversations included at Legal Aid Directors quarterly
meeting to examine alternative funding through foundations
and state entities (Kellogg, DCFS, etc.).
ATJ staff will participate in upcoming meeting led by LBF to
coordinate funding opportunities
■ The State Bar develops resources to ensure optimum funding of civil legal aid
providers.
▪ Facilitate the work of the Technology Committee and Disaster and IFP
Committees;
ATJ Commission chair obtained input from IFP Committee members
as LSLI revised IFP statutes and sent a bill with those revisions to the
legislature. The bill did not move through the legislature because of the
truncated session. The bill has been filed for the 2021 Regular Session
and has successfully moved through the House and Senate.
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