Governor Baker signs state budget with $3 million increase for civil legal aid

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Statement from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation:

BOSTON, July 26, 2018— Today, Governor Charlie Baker signed the FY19 Budget of the Commonwealth, which includes $21.04 million for civil legal aid through the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation—a $3.04 million increase over FY18. The following is a statement from Lonnie Powers, executive director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation:

“We thank Governor Baker for approving this important funding increase for civil legal aid. We are deeply grateful for his leadership, and for his recognition of the urgent need to address the overwhelming demand for assistance among our state’s low-income residents. With this funding increase, civil legal aid organizations across the state will be able to help thousands more people who otherwise would not receive assistance in resolving serious civil legal issues that threaten their health, safety, and financial stability. The FY19 Budget of the Commonwealth helps Massachusetts deliver on the promise of equal justice for all.

“In addition to the Governor, his cabinet, and his staff, we thank the Massachusetts legislature for voting to increase funding for civil legal aid. The broad support we received from the House and Senate and from members of both parties truly demonstrates the impact legal aid makes in every corner of the state. We are also grateful to the many supporters of civil legal aid who advocated for this increase, including our legislative champions, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts, numerous county and specialty bar associations, managing partners at many of the state’s largest law firms, business leaders, and our social service partners. Their collective advocacy exemplifies the Commonwealth’s commitment to the principles of justice, fairness, and compassion, and we are fortunate to count them as allies. Our shared success is an important step towards the goal of ensuring that all people—regardless of income—have access to legal advice and representation.”

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About MLAC

The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation was established by the state legislature in 1983 to ensure that low-income people with critical, non-criminal legal problems would have access to legal information, advice and representation. MLAC is the largest funding source for civil legal aid programs in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit: www.mlac.org.

Massachusetts State House

Sen. Creem speaks in support of civil legal aid funding during Senate budget debate

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The following are remarks by Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem, during the Massachusetts Senate budget debate on May 24, 2018.

“I would like to speak to amendment #992, an MLAC amendment. We voted in support of it. It provides $2 million for civil legal aid for those who can’t afford an attorney. 65 percent of those eligible are now turned away due to lack of resources. Every dollar spent on civil legal aid brings in $2 to $5. This provides a modest increase and moves us to full funding of legal assistance. If we care about civil rights and due process, we all deserve the right to be represented. I think this is one of the most important things that we’re doing with this budget. I’m happy this was approved.”

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Rep. Cronin speaks in support of civil legal aid funding during House budget debate

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The following are remarks by Representative Claire Cronin, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, during the Massachusetts House budget debate on April 25, 2018.

Rep. Cronin: “I rise in support of the amendment for public safety and judiciary. There are many important provisions in the consolidated amendment. I want to highlight one that is near and dear to us. That is the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. We fund it at $20.75 million, a $2.75 million increase over the current budget and a $2.57 million increase over the governor’s budget. This was a strong priority for the majority of members of this House. MLAC is a vital resource and removes barriers to legal assistance. Last year assisted over 83,000 individuals in Massachusetts regarding housing, domestic violence and other issues. In fiscal 2017, MLAC yielded a return of over $59 million in benefits, including securing federal assistance and generating substantial savings for the state in housing and health care costs. I ask for your support for this amendment.”

Massachusetts State House

House Ways & Means Committee recommends $2 million increase for civil legal aid

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Below is a statement from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation on the $2 million increase proposed by the House Ways & Means Committee.

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. Praises House Ways & Means Committee Budget

BOSTON, April 11, 2018―On Wednesday, the House Ways & Means Committee recommended $20 million for civil legal aid funding in its Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which represents a $2 million increase over the Fiscal Year 2018 budget.

“We’re pleased that the House Ways & Means Committee recognizes the role that civil legal aid funding plays in promoting equal access to justice for low-income residents of the Commonwealth, and we are extremely grateful for this support,” said Lonnie Powers, executive director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC). “However, given the great depth of unmet need among those seeking civil legal aid, and the significant return on investment yielded by civil legal aid funding, we need to continue to advocate for increased investment by the state during the House floor debate.”

Currently, civil legal aid programs around the state turn away approximately 65 percent of eligible residents who seek services—nearly 45,000 people each year. To be eligible for civil legal aid, applicants must have incomes at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is $31,375 a year for a family of four.

Earlier this year, MLAC released its annual Economic Benefits Report, which showed that civil legal assistance provided by MLAC-funded programs in fiscal year 2017 yielded at least $59.2 million in savings or new revenue for the state and its residents. Successful representation in appeals to Social Security Insurance, Social Security Disability Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Medicare coverage, and federal tax decisions resulted in $17.6 million in new federal revenue for the Commonwealth. An additional $24.3 million was gained through child support orders, debt relief for homeowners in foreclosure cases, and additional non-federal Unemployment Insurance claims and representation for tenants. The state saved $17.2 million in services that it would have otherwise provided if not for civil legal aid. These services include emergency shelter, foster care, and medical costs related to domestic violence.

Representative Ruth Balser and Representative Claire Cronin will file an amendment to increase the House Ways & Means recommendation by $2 million, for a total appropriation of $22 million, as the House budget is debated. This funding increase would be another important step in addressing the significant unmet need among those who are eligible for and seek civil legal aid.

“Public spending should be aligned with effective, successful programs that improve the health, safety, and well-being of our residents. Our 14 community-based programs across Massachusetts meet that bar,” said Marijane Benner Browne, chair of the MLAC Board of Directors. “Civil legal aid programs assist people who are struggling to make ends meet resolve civil legal issues related to basic necessities such as housing, employment, classroom accommodations for children with disabilities, and conflicts related to child support and custody, divorce, and domestic violence.”

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ABOUT MLAC

The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation was established by the state legislature in 1983 to ensure that low-income people with critical, non-criminal legal problems would have access to legal information, advice and representation. MLAC is the largest funding source for civil legal aid programs in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.mlac.org.

Amid deportations, SJC’s chief justice pleads for $5m hike in funding for civil legal aid

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Travis Andersen, GLOBE STAFF  JANUARY 25, 2018

The chief justice of the state’s highest court made an impassioned plea Thursday for a $5 million increase in public funding for civil legal aid for poor Massachusetts residents, including undocumented immigrants facing possible deportation and the severing of their families.

Speaking at the State House, Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants of the Supreme Judicial Court said raising the yearly budget allocation for indigent civil legal aid, to $23 million from $18 million, is vital amid the threat of deportation faced by thousands of state residents from Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras who recently lost protection under the federal Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, program.

“Why $5 million more than last year? Last year, Elsa, a 45-year-old TPS holder from El Salvador who cleans Boston offices from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and who takes care of her two sons, both US citizens, during the rest of her waking hours, was not faced with being forced to return to El Salvador and to leave her children,” Gants said.

Continue reading on Boston Globe website…

 

Massachusetts State House

Chief Justice Gants and Bar Association Leaders to Speak at 19th Annual Walk to the Hill

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BOSTON (January 16, 2018)―Chief Justice Ralph Gants of the Supreme Judicial Court and bar association leaders will join hundreds of private attorneys from more than 40 law firms at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 11:00 a.m. for the 19th Annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid. Attendees of this annual lobby day, one of the largest held on Beacon Hill each year, will request a $5 million increase in state funding for programs that provide civil legal aid to low-income Massachusetts residents. Approximately 880,000 people in Massachusetts have incomes at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level ($30,750 a year for a family of four), making them eligible for civil legal aid.

“Tens of thousands of people who live in Massachusetts cannot afford the legal help or representation they need when facing life-changing circumstances such as escaping domestic violence, unlawful eviction or home foreclosure, or the denial of veteran’s benefits,” said Lonnie Powers, executive director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC). “They’re left to navigate these complex legal matters alone, putting their families, homes, health, and livelihoods at risk. Civil legal aid gives low-income people in Massachusetts the tools they need to achieve or maintain their financial stability and independence.”

Speakers at Walk to the Hill will include Chief Justice Gants, Boston Bar Association President Mark D. Smith, and Massachusetts Bar Association President Christopher P. Sullivan. The program will also include remarks by a client who has been helped by civil legal aid.

“At a time when immigrant communities face uncertainty and hostility, and fear that the rule of law is threatened, the need for legal advocacy and advice from our civil legal aid organizations has never been more urgent,” said Justice Gants.

MBA President Christopher P. Sullivan said: “With no guarantee of a lawyer in a civil case, far too many Massachusetts residents go unrepresented in court because they simply cannot afford a lawyer, and the legal aid resources are far too limited to help everyone who is qualified to receive such aid. That’s unacceptable. Having access to a lawyer is critical, especially when folks are fighting for their homes or services for their kids or facing other life-altering challenges. More funding for legal aid is the answer, and the Massachusetts Bar Association urges our elected officials to increase funding for legal aid to ensure equal justice for all in the Commonwealth.”

“Every year, we work alongside our partners in the Equal Justice Coalition to secure funding for civil legal aid in the state budget because we understand the devastating consequences for Massachusetts families who cannot afford legal representation,” said Boston Bar Association President Mark Smith. “In addition to enabling low-income residents to access legal services, investing resources in civil legal aid saves money.”

“Civil legal aid is a solid return on investment for Massachusetts taxpayers and our communities,” said MLAC Board Chair Marijane Benner Browne. “In fiscal year 2016, the work of the 14 civil legal aid programs funded by MLAC provided an economic benefit of $49.2 million to the state’s economy. This included federal benefits and other financial support for low-income residents, as well as shelter and health care cost savings for the state.”

Following the speaking program, attorneys will visit their legislators and urge them to increase funding for MLAC, the largest funder of civil legal aid in Massachusetts, by $5 million in the FY19 state budget, for a total appropriation of $23 million.

Walk to the Hill is sponsored by the Equal Justice Coalition, a collaboration of the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, and the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. The event is also co-sponsored by numerous county and specialty bar associations throughout Massachusetts.

SPEAKING PROGRAM

11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Great Hall of Flags
Massachusetts State House, Boston

The order of speakers is as follows:

  • Chief Justice Ralph Gants of the Supreme Judicial Court
  • Boston Bar Association President Mark D. Smith
  • Massachusetts Bar Association President Christopher P. Sullivan
  • Legal aid client

NOTE: Members of the media are welcome to attend all or part of the speaking program. Please follow the Equal Justice Coalition on Twitter (www.twitter.com/equaljusticema) as well as the hashtags #IWalkForJustice and #WalktotheHill for the latest on Walk to the Hill 2018.

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About the Equal Justice Coalition

The Equal Justice Coalition, a collaboration of the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association and the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, works to increase state funding for civil legal aid. For more information, visit www.equaljusticecoalition.org.

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FY19 Budget Campaign Factsheet Now Available

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