The Importance of $1B+ in Funding 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 FY 2026 LSC Funding Request 

Dear Ms. Bergman,

I appreciate the invitation from President Ronald Flagg and the Legal Services Corporation Board of Directors to provide input into the FY 2026 LSC funding request to Congress. 

At Paladin, a legal technology company that provides free tools to nonprofits to streamline pro bono engagement, we work with over 300 legal services organizations across the country who are on the front lines of serving low-income Americans with urgent legal needs every day. The breadth of services they provide is vast, and yet, only 8% of civil legal issues brought to them are able to be fully or adequately serviced due to a lack of resources. Last year alone, Paladin made over 8,000 pro bono connections with private-sector lawyers to increase legal services’ capacity. About 30% of the clients they served focused on children and families, 10% of their work went to small businesses and nonprofits, and 8% of casework helped immigrants and refugees. Domestic violence survivors, the elderly, people with disabilities, the unemployed, and veterans comprised about 20%. While the justice gap continues to rise, funding for LSC has barely increased since its inception in 1974. An appropriation of $1.8B for LSC for FY 2026 is critical to ensuring that grantees can more effectively serve Americans in need, and will have wide-reaching benefits for all. 

Strong access to civil legal aid is essential to communities across the country because it improves economic stability, societal health, and overall well-being. Legal aid helps individuals secure housing, employment, and public benefits, reducing poverty and fostering economic mobility. It also alleviates stress and improves mental health outcomes, while addressing issues like unsafe housing and domestic violence. Strengthening families through the resolution of family law issues and ensuring children’s security allows us to invest in future generations.

In order to address these needs, LSC must be properly funded. We must not only secure the funding to fully staff, train, and equip LSC organizations with the people and resources they need, but also invest in new, innovative solutions that will help us close the gap. From programs that train other professionals to assist, to explorations of how AI and advanced technologies can help, this work must be accelerated. I reiterate the importance of a $1.8B budget allocation for LSC in FY 2026.

Sincerely,

Kristen Sonday

Co-Founder, CEO, Paladin