Why I'm Supporting a $1B+ Funding Request to Congress for the Legal Services Corporation

Ms. Carol Bergman 

Vice President for Government Relations 

     and Public Affairs 

Legal Services Corporation 

3333 K Street NW, 3rd Floor 

Washington, DC 20007-3522 

Re: Paladin PBC, Inc. Recommendation for FY2023 LSC Funding Request 

Dear Ms. Bergman,

We appreciate the invitation from President Ronald Flagg and the LSC Board of Directors to provide input into the FY2023 LSC funding request to Congress. 

As one of few justice technology companies focused on increasing legal aid capacity by boosting private pro bono lawyer engagement, we believe it is imperative that LSC receive sufficient appropriation from Congress to adequately address low income Americans’ civil legal needs and strongly support LSC’s request for an appropriation of over $1B for FY2023. 

At Paladin, our free tools for legal services organizations enable pro bono programs to better manage volunteer recruitment. We frequently hear from our partners, including 38 LSC grantees, that they are overwhelmed with new clients, yet are significantly under-resourced to serve them. While this was true before the pandemic, our data shows that now, even more low-income Americans are grappling with unemployment issues, facing eviction, trapped with domestic abusers, navigating medical-related legal issues, and having trouble securing benefits. Funding for LSC is critical to ensuring millions of Americans are able to access the legal information, assistance, and advice they need.

In addition, Paladin’s partnership with the American Bar Association to build the first nationwide disaster relief portal in 2020 further demonstrates the increased legal need arising directly from the pandemic. The portal details a plethora of pro bono opportunities across organizations that require the assistance of volunteers on issues arising directly from COVID-19. While thousands of volunteers have been recruited through this and other public pro bono portals, pro bono lawyers and technology are not enough.

Funding is paramount to equipping LSC grantees with the teams, expertise, and resources to increase the efficiency with which they can help. In addition, LSC leadership, which is dedicated to investing in innovative solutions to help narrow the justice gap, would benefit from more resources at its disposal.

We reiterate the importance of an increased allocation of funds for LSC in FY2023 as we help those most vulnerable navigate critical legal issues in such a time of need.

Sincerely,

Kristen Sonday

Co-Founder, COO, Paladin