Legal Services Corp. has announced a grant of $435,404 to Inland Counties Legal Services.
ICLS, based in Riverside, is among the 15 legal-aid organizations to receive LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants. The LSC awards total $4.75 million, and are funded through congressional appropriation. They are intended to support the growth of pro bono legal services for low-income Americans.
“Each organization’s project involves innovative solutions to persistent challenges in pro bono delivery systems,” said LSC in a press release. “Their methods include establishing community partnerships, utilizing technology in new ways, incentivizing private attorneys to volunteer or increasing efficiency through standardizing processes.”
The pro bono coordinating team at ICLS attributes this award to their staying attuned to the community’s changing needs.
“We are pretty nimble in addressing current and new issues,” said ICLS pro bono coordinator Matthew Kugizaki. “The ERAP (Emergency Rental Assistance Program) clinic, the expungement clinic, the small-business clinic are great examples. We really thought about, ‘What does our community need?’
“We are so open to innovation. We accept this money to build out something bigger and better.”
According to LSC’s most recent Justice Gap report, last year 74% of low-income households faced at least one civil legal problem, and low-income Americans received no or insufficient legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems.
“Meeting the vast legal needs of low-income Americans is a tough job for legal aid providers with limited resources,” said LSC President Ronald Flagg in the press release. “Engaging pro bono attorneys and volunteers adds a powerful network that multiplies the impact of these organizations.”
