Providing adequate funding for the Legal Services Corporation is essential to providing access to legal representation and to the American system of justice for all.

The ABA believes that the American system of justice must be accessible to every citizen regardless of income level. We also believe that ensuring access is financially prudent because legal services can prevent more serious, costlier problems from developing. For example, every dollar spent increasing representation for victims of domestic violence saves governments about $9 that they would have to spend to deal with the consequences of ongoing abuse.

Right now, this country is meeting the needs of only 20 percent of its poor through a combination of Legal Services programs and pro bono efforts by the private bar. As a society that considers itself just, we cannot afford to shortchange our fellow citizens by failing to increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

We urge the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to recommend an increase in funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Politics .