Congress allocates $350 million to legal aid
In the final year of President George H.W. Bush’s term in office, LSC receives its largest funding increase in nearly a decade, as Congress allocates $350 million to legal aid.
LSC Faces Severe Funding Cuts
Congress rejects President Reagan’s earlier proposal to eliminate LSC, but cuts funding by 25%, forcing the closure of 285 legal aid offices around the country. Members of Congress enact several restrictions on the use of LSC funds.
Hillary Clinton appointed Board Chair
President Carter appoints Hilary Clinton to serve as LSCs Board Chair. She is the first woman to hold the position.
First Board of Directors
President Ford names and the Senate approves LSC’s first Board of Directors, with Cornell University Law School Dean Roger Conant Cramton as LSC’s first Board Chair, accompanied by Marshall Jordan Breger, Marlow W. Cook, Rodolfo Montejano, Samuel D. Thurman, Melville J. Broughton, Jr., Glee S. Smith, Jr., Glenn C. Stophel, Robert J. Kutak and Revius O. Ortique, Jr.
The Legal Services Corporation is created
On July 25, President Nixon signs the Legal Services Corporation Act creating LSC. The act gives strength to America’s promise of equal justice for all. LSC becomes the largest single funder of civil legal aid in the country, distributing the majority of its funding to independent nonprofit legal aid organizations. This “Basic Field” funding is allocated among three types of geographically defined service areas: General, Agricultural Worker and Native American.
The Mondale-Steiger Bill is Introduced
Bipartisan legislation, known as the Mondale-Steiger bill, is introduced in March by Sen. Walter Mondale (D-MN) and Rep. Bill Steiger (R-WI) to create an independent Legal Services Corporation.
The Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship is Created
The Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship is created to attract talented lawyers to public interest law. Initially sponsored by the OEO’s Legal Services Program, the program moved to LSC in the mid-1970s. From 1967 to 1985, when the program ended, there were approximately 2,000 “Reggies.”
The OEO Creates the Legal Services Program
The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) launches the Legal Services Program, a precursor to LSC. The program serves as an early testing ground to learn about funding legal services for low-income Americans. Within nine months, 130 OEO legal services programs are being funded.
