Legal Services Corporation Releases Strategic Plan Focused on Improving Access to Justice
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WASHINGTON – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has released its 2021 – 2024 Strategic Plan outlining the goals and initiatives guiding its efforts over the next four years. LSC’s Board of Directors approved the plan late last month. LSC’s principal goals are:
- Working with LSC-funded legal aid organizations to maximize the availability and effectiveness of legal services to low-income individuals.
- Expanding LSC’s role as a convener and leading voice for access-to-justice issues.
- Achieving the highest standards of management, business operations and fiscal responsibility.
“Our new strategic plan presents an impressive blueprint to help guide LSC’s mission of improving access to justice by broadening bipartisan support and working to significantly increase funding,” said LSC Chair John G. Levi. “It also helps guide our efforts to work with our grantees to provide the most effective delivery of legal services, expand LSC’s already significant role in promoting access-to-justice issues, and ensure effective and fiscally responsible management.
"LSC's strategic plan continues to place its primary focus where it belongs, on the millions of poor Americans in need of access to civil justice,” said LSC Vice Chair Father Pius Pietrzyk, O.P. “We must never forget that it is for them we act, and it is for their benefit that we do everything we do."
The strategic plan also identifies initiatives and implementation steps to achieve its goals. For example, LSC will launch “LSC University,” a one-stop destination providing resources to legal aid providers focused on nonprofit leadership and management, LSC’s regulatory requirements and more.
LSC will also provide resources and training to ensure its grantees can effectively evaluate and support underserved communities in their service areas.
By identifying and collaborating with partners both inside and outside the traditional legal services community, LSC will work to better publicize its grantees’ work and the critical resources related to new and emerging legal aid issues. Internally, LSC will pursue best fiscal practices with strong internal controls and adherence to non-profit and government standards. The strategic plan also recommends LSC focus on promoting and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization.
LSC developed its strategic plan after extensive outreach with LSC-funded legal services organizations, legal aid clients, and members of LSC’s Board of Directors and staff as well as external stakeholders including the legal community, judiciary, advocates, members of Congress and congressional staff. More than 250 stakeholders responded to LSC’s initial survey.