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Our 129 grantees provide life-changing (and in many cases, life-saving) services to low-income Americans in crisis. Every Congressional district in the United States is served by an ��è��Ƶ grantee.  and include:

• Survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
• Veterans.
• Seniors.
• Families with children.
• Survivors of natural disasters.

Comprehensive data about clients served is publicly available in our By the Numbers Report.

Most low-income individuals who are taken to court (or otherwise face legal challenges) cannot afford a lawyer. And unlike in criminal court, there is no right to an attorney in most civil cases (like housing or family issues). Without a lawyer, they do not have a fair shot at telling their story in court. 

Civil legal aid levels the playing field by ensuring that those who cannot afford an attorney have assistance in our complex legal system – similar to the role public defenders have in criminal court.

We operate under multiple restrictions established by Congress. 

These restrictions (e.g., ��è��Ƶ’s grantees cannot lobby, engage in political activity, bring class-action lawsuits, represent most non-citizens, or work on abortion-related cases) are designed to ensure that federal funds are focused solely on providing critical civil legal aid to low-income individuals while avoiding activities that may be seen as partisan.

We follow a multi-level process to ensure grantees are in compliance with regulations and restrictions, including:

• Each grantee is required to submit an independent audit each year.
• Our Office of Compliance and Enforcement conducts regular in-depth financial and operational reviews.
• ��è��Ƶ also has an , an independent oversight unit that reports separately to ��è��Ƶ’s Board of Directors, plans and conducts its own audits and investigations, and submits reports directly to Congress. The office operates under the Inspector General Act and maintains its own website.

��è��Ƶ is led by a bipartisan Board of Directors. Board members are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Our Board is required to be comprised of a roughly equal distribution of Republican and Democratic members with the majority representing the current Administration. 

The majority of our  were appointed by President Trump during his first term in office.

For every $1 spent on civil legal aid, there is a $7 return on investment. 

Our grantees help individuals and families avoid homelessness, access income they have earned (e.g., veterans benefits or social security), and get back to work after serving a sentence by sealing non-violent criminal records. By helping individuals and families maintain stability, ��è��Ƶ grantees help reduce dependence on social safety net programs. Furthermore, by ensuring low-income parties have legal representation, civil legal aid attorneys help court proceedings run faster and smoother, creating efficiencies within the justice system itself.

��è��Ƶ’s last Congressional reauthorization expired in 1980. Since that time, Congress has continued to fund ��è��Ƶ each year. The increased bipartisan support for ��è��Ƶ is evidenced in the annual letters led by bipartisan members of Congress in both the House and Senate requesting robust funding for legal services. 

We welcome the opportunity for Congress to consider ��è��Ƶ’s reauthorization.

Since ��è��Ƶ’s inception, Congress has placed broad restrictions on ��è��Ƶ-funded  and . 

While our Board and senior staff are permitted to lobby Congress for our own funding, our grantees are not permitted to engage in direct or indirect lobbying. We enforce the regulations enacted by Congress, both internally for ��è��Ƶ staff and for grantee activity, as well, as part of our oversight and compliance functions. The ��è��Ƶ  may also conduct its own reviews of grantees’ compliance with laws and regulations.

In addition to the strict restrictions set forth by Congress that ��è��Ƶ and all grantees are required to abide by, ��è��Ƶ is led by a bipartisan Board of Directors. Each Board member is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Our Board is required to be comprised of a roughly equal distribution of Republican and Democratic members. 

The majority of our  were appointed by President Trump during his first term in office.

Congress has authorized ��è��Ƶ grantees to represent some non-citizens who are survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking. ��è��Ƶ requires grantees to review and document evidence of the eligibility status of every client served. Our team reviews these records regularly to ensure compliance with this requirement. 

If any grantee is found to have violated these restrictions, ��è��Ƶ takes enforcement actions, which are public.

There are other legal services organizations (not funded by ��è��Ƶ) that do provide representation to undocumented migrants. To increase transparency, since 1997, ��è��Ƶ has required all grantees to maintain objective  from any entity engaging in ��è��Ƶ-restricted work, including the representation of undocumented individuals.

��è��Ƶ takes seriously any concerns raised about the use of taxpayer dollars. More than 94% of ��è��Ƶ’s budget goes directly to grantees who provide direct services to the American people. 

Additionally, our extensive oversight processes monitor and enforce compliance with all our grantees. In addition, an independent  may separately assess ��è��Ƶ’s and grantees’ adherence to laws and Congressional requirements and make recommendations for corrective action if appropriate. The Inspector General also oversees a required annual, independent audit of ��è��Ƶ’s financial statements, as well as operates a nationwide hotline to take in and review allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse. For those wanting to learn more, our financial records are transparent and available to the public.

As an additional oversight mechanism, each ��è��Ƶ grantee is required by federal law to have an annual financial statement audit, conducted by an independent public accountant (IPA). The ��è��Ƶ OIG oversees the process, reviews the findings, and makes referrals to ��è��Ƶ management for action. ��è��Ƶ management carefully reviews OIG referrals and takes enforcement actions as appropriate.

The federal government provides less than 20% of legal aid funding, while states and private philanthropy provide the rest. Even with all the funding that currently exists, our grantees still only have enough resources to serve one in two clients who apply for assistance. 

No state funding or programs could replace ��è��Ƶ funds. 

The term “zombie agency” is sometimes used to describe federal programs that operate without meaningful congressional oversight. That label does not apply to the ��è��Ƶ.

��è��Ƶ is not permanently authorized and receives funding through the annual congressional appropriations process—meaning its work is reviewed and approved by Congress every year. ��è��Ƶ also submits regular reports to Congress, is subject to detailed performance and financial audits, and is overseen by a bipartisan board appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. In addition, ��è��Ƶ is called to testify before congressional committees. The most recent oversight hearing was held in summer 2024. This structure ensures that ��è��Ƶ remains one of the most closely monitored and accountable grantmaking organizations in the federal government.