Hundreds of lawyers will gather virtually to request increased civil legal aid funding
January 27 lobby day seeks $41M for civil legal aid in FY23
BOSTON, January 20 – Assistant Speaker to the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, bar association leaders, and legal aid clients will join hundreds of attorneys, law students, and advocates on Thursday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m. for Talk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid. They will urge state legislators to support $41 million in the FY23 state budget for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation to fund organizations that provide legal advice and representation at no cost to low-income Massachusetts residents.
Talk to the Hill is the 23nd annual lobby day advocating for civil legal aid funding in Massachusetts. Held at the Massachusetts State House as Walk to the Hill for decades, the event has moved online due to the pandemic.
Assistant Speaker Clark said, “Civil legal aid has always been an essential service – but never has it been more critical to support the needs of our low-income community members than during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m grateful to the Equal Justice Coalition for their leadership and eager to join ‘Talk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid’ to discuss Congress’ work to ensure that every person in the Commonwealth has access to the legal support services they need.”
Attorney General Healey said, “Legal aid is a lifeline for our most vulnerable neighbors, and it has become even more critical during the pandemic. Many people continue to face serious challenges related to housing, employment, health care, personal safety and other financial and legal issues. We are grateful to the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and the Equal Justice Coalition for their continued advocacy for legal aid and for the residents that benefit from it every day.”
“This event is always important,” said Chief Justice Budd, “because it gives us an opportunity to address the challenges faced by people who are too often forgotten in our society – those who cannot afford a lawyer to assist them with their most basic civil legal needs. But it is especially important this year, because of the ongoing problems caused by the pandemic.”
“The need for civil legal aid has intensified during the pandemic, particularly in housing, unemployment, benefits, family law, and immigration,” said Lynne Parker, executive director of MLAC. “Low-income people and particularly low-income people of color are among the groups that have been most severely affected by the pandemic, and civil legal aid is essential to preserving their health, safety, and security.”
After the speaking program, lawyers and advocates will meet in virtual breakout rooms with state legislators about the critical need to increase civil legal aid funding by $6 million, for a total of $41 million in the FY23 state budget.
LIST OF SPEAKERS
– Katherine Clark, Assistant Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, 5th District of MA
– Attorney General Maura Healey
– Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, Supreme Judicial Court
– Thomas M. Bond, President of the Massachusetts Bar Association
– Deborah J. Manus, President of the Boston Bar Association
– Lynne Parker, Executive Director, Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation
– Jacquelynne J. Bowman, Executive Director, Greater Boston Legal Services
– Legal aid clients who received help during the pandemic will share how legal aid assisted them and their families
– Host: Louis Tompros, Chair, Equal Justice Coalition
Media are welcome to attend the speaking program and the virtual event is open to the public. Please register by January 25 at https://ejctalktothehill.org/.
About the EJC
The Equal Justice Coalition is a collaboration of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, Boston Bar Association, and Massachusetts Bar Association working to increase state funding for civil legal aid.
www.equaljusticecoalition.org
@equaljusticema
#IWalkforJustice
