The nation’s providers of civil legal assistance for the poor are closely watching Congress again this year, where another move to slash funding for the Legal Services Corp. could mean more layoffs for lawyers and may further limit the scope of their work.
Agencies depending on grants from the LSC, the largest source of funding nationwide for civil legal aid, are already reeling this year after a cut from 2011 to 2012 equal to 17 percent of their annual funding from Washington. At the same time, high unemployment rates have increased the number of people needing help.
