What is Legal Aid?

While everyone deserves a fair trial, that is not always financially possible for some. “Civil legal aid is the assistance of counsel and legal advocacy for people living at or near poverty in legal matters that fall outside of the criminal justice system.”[1] When people are facing civil legal challenges like unlawful evictions, foreclosure, domestic abuse, or wrongful denial of government assistance, navigating the justice system without a lawyer can seem impossible.

But I thought everyone had a right to representation?

The Sixth Amendment in the United States Constitution does provide counsel in criminal proceedings, the court system has not officially recognized a right to a lawyer in the vast majority of civil cases. This distinction unfortunately puts the idea of justice out of reach for many low-income people. Many however believe that a fundamental principle in our country is that the amount of money you have should not determine the quality of justice you receive. Right now in the United States, one in five children lives in or near poverty in the United States. Legal aid provides protection for the rights of those millions of Americans with low-income each year in areas like housing, consumer education, and employment, defending access to services for people of all backgrounds. Many children, veterans, victims of domestic violence, the elderly, and those living with disabilities are the recipients of legal aid.

How can legal aid help?

Every day more and more Americans are facing life-altering consequences whether it is losing their homes or their jobs, or even custody of their children. Legal aid is not just for those with issues already in court. And often, the work of a legal aid provider provides assistance to those seeking systemic changes that affect large numbers of people facing similar situations, not just the individual they are working with

Who receives legal aid?

While many are dedicated legal advocates there are still countless who go unserved. Many legal aid providers are forced to prioritize serving the most disadvantaged clients on a limited number of matters. Estimates say that half of the eligible people that request assistance have to be turned away.

Who provides legal aid?

“Legal aid providers vary in size and mission; some are locally focused or concentrate only on a specific issue (such as domestic violence or employment practices), while others may take cases from across a city or state with few restrictions on issue area.”

[1] http://www.nlada.org/tools-and-technical-assistance/civil-legal-aid-resources/what-legal-aid