Without the structure and dedicated resources of LSC, many of these volunteer hours would not be possible. Pro bono assistance is an essential part of the representation that is available to people who would otherwise go unrepresented and is increasingly recognized as good for business.
Although difficult decisions about federal spending must be made, the general counsel said in their letter, “just as investing in America’s roads and bridges are vital to our transportation infrastructure, LSC is a vital part of the infrastructure that undergirds our justice system, ensuring that fair treatment is not dependent on a person’s ability to pay for it.”
The corporate counsel who signed the letter represented companies that included: Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Comcast Corp., Microsoft Corp., General Motors Co., 3M Co., General Electric Co., Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and the Walt Disney Co. The full letter is posted below.
John Schultz, GC of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Photo: Jeff Singer
“LSC programs provide support to working families, allowing them to create significant positive impacts on our businesses and communities,” John Schultz, general to Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said. “LSC also provides the structure for corporations and in-house legal departments, like ours here at HPE, to provide pro bono legal services and make a real difference in the lives of people around us.”
The corporate lawyers join the leaders of more than 150 law firms who sent a March 9 letter to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget urging the continued funding of the LSC.
Like the corporate counsel, the law firm heads said their ability to provide pro bono legal aid is dependent on legal aid organizations that screen cases for eligibility and train and mentor their attorneys.
Read more:
More Than 150 Law Firm Leaders Urge Govt to Continue Funding of Legal Services
Legal Services Corp., Under Trump, Faces New Threat to Existence
New York Bar Groups Gear Up to Preserve Legal Services Funding
Defunding Legal Services Corp. Would Have ‘Dramatic’ Impact in Pennsylvania
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