By Alyssa Saunders, Director, Corporate Pro Bono
On May 29, 2026, 132 General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers called on Congress to fully fund the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) for Fiscal Year 2027. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the United States, providing essential support to legal aid organizations that serve low-income communities in need in every congressional district. The 2026 GC/CLO letter to Congress is linked here.
This is the tenth year that Pro Bono Institute (PBI), through its global in-house project, Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), has worked in collaboration with the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) to coordinate support for LSC funding from legal leaders of businesses across America. Participating signatories represent legal departments of all sizes across many industries and jurisdictions. In the letter to Congress, the corporate legal department leaders urge appropriation of sufficient funding for LSC to “strengthen[] the economic stability of American communities” and “lay the foundation for a safe, stable and thriving society.”
Federal investment in LSC ensures that legal assistance will be available for individuals and communities across the country, which is critical to the strength of the American economy. According to LSC’s 2022 report, The Justice Gap: The Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans, low-income individuals do not receive legal assistance for 92 percent of their substantial civil legal problems. LSC is the cornerstone of civil legal aid in the U.S., providing vital funding and infrastructure to 129 legal aid organizations that serve low-income communities in need, as well as supporting pro bono efforts by law firms and legal departments.
LSC has requested $2.143 billion for FY2027 to address the justice gap. With LSC’s current budget of $540 million in FY2026, LSC grantees serve millions of low-income Americans facing problems like evictions, domestic violence, consumer scams, recovery from disasters, and more. However, the funding level falls far short of what is needed, and LSC grantees turn away 49% of eligible Americans needing critical legal assistance due to lack of resources. Veterans, children, seniors, domestic violence survivors, farmers, and small business owners are among the communities at risk of losing access to legal services if LSC is not funded. The requested funding for FY2027 would remedy the lack of funding.
Support for civil legal aid is bipartisan, and the return on investment (“ROI”) of civil legal aid is high. LSC reports, “Across 50 studies, every dollar spent on legal aid generates an average of seven dollars in economic benefits.” Investment in civil legal aid produces immense value and reduces societal costs.
LSC funding also supports efforts by legal aid organizations to engage pro bono lawyers and legal professionals, including through the Pro Bono Innovation Fund.
PBI is proud to support the effort to secure essential funding for LSC. PBI thanks the CLOs and GCs who signed on to the May 29th letter, demonstrating their commitment to civil legal aid and access to justice. For more information about how legal departments can further access to justice, including through delivery of pro bono legal services, please contact CPBO project staff.