The Legal Service Corporation has submitted to Congress a request for $486 million for Fiscal Year 2014 to meet the overwhelming need for legal services and to fulfill the nation’s promise of “justice for all.”

This is an increase of $16 million over LSC’s FY 2013 appropriation request.  The increase is based on LSC’s assessment of the need for legal aid, the decline in some non-LSC funding sources, and LSC’s calculation of the resources necessary to provide the same level of service that LSC grantees provided in 2007, the year before the recession began. The request includes $5 million for a new grant program to encourage innovations in pro bono legal services.

The request emphasizes that LSC is an efficient grantmaking organization, distributing nearly 95 percent of its federal appropriation to eligible nonprofit organizations delivering civil legal aid. To ensure grantee compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and sound financial management practices, LSC engages in robust oversight of its grantees.

The budget request addresses the impact of decreased funding and makes a strong case for increased funding for civil legal aid.  It also describes the work of LSC’s grantees across the country and reviews LSC’s recent accomplishments and plans for the future.

Read the executive summary and download a pdf of the full LSC FY 2014 budget request.