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LSC says funding cuts will reduce staff, close offices

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The Legal Services Corporation offices around the country will have to lay off staff – including 350 attorneys – due to funding cuts, according to a survey released Wednesday by the legal aid program.

All but one of the 134 LSC grantees responded to the survey. Based on the results, local legal aid programs expect to reduce staff by nearly 750 employees this year, which is an 8 percent decrease in full-time equivalent positions from the end of last year.

Because of the funding shortage, more than half reported they will accept fewer cases and restrict what cases they accept. Nearly 30 percent of the programs expect to cut back on foreclosure-related issue services and services for victims of domestic violence.

Sixteen percent of respondents expect to close offices this year, according to the survey.

LSC provides funding for Indiana Legal Services.

LSC was established in 1974 by Congress and is the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. Congress has cut its funding recently and a bill passed in the House of Representatives would cut an additional 6 percent from the agency’s budget, which would give LSC $328 million. ILS Executive Director Norman Metzger told Indiana Lawyer late last year the cuts translate to a loss of $819,000 in 2012 for the legal aid provider.

 

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  1. Interesting that the new laws in criminal code all involve voter fraud

  2. I'm getting divorced and we have prenuptial and judge said it stands even though he made me sign it 2 days before wedding then I be c ame ill and left with nothing butbills

  3. No irony here, John. Conour’s clients are wise to him. Evidently you’ve missed discovery that disclosed Conour was aware he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, actually many cookie jars, but continued to spend any monies he secured on himself and his lifestyle. Your theory is idealistic and assumes Conour has the soul of a good attorney and therefore he would take care of his clients. Conour has no soul. He greedily took awarded settlements from his disabled clients and spent it on his own edacious desires. You are naïve to think if he kept working he would put his fees into a restitution fund. He is who he is and has proven he will use any means to cheat and manipulate those who trust him and the judicial system that is supposed to protect them. Sorry John, you don’t send the fox back into the hen house after he’s caught devouring the hens. Conour can’t be trusted. He has no more honor than that fox.

  4. The court of appeals not only tries to rewrite or interpret the law to suit their fancy, now they choose play stupid as well. Every consideration must be given to pro se litigants, who are not held to the same standards as attorneys, as stated by,SCOTUS. I assume they didn't have a lawyer, since one wasn't mentioned and I strongly suggest thatb the rest of the, origional petitioners get back in there and fight for their rights.

  5. the irony of situations like this is that the clients whom conour cheated are the ones who should be pulling hardest for him to remain free and keep his law license, so they have some hopes of him paying back. really bury the guy deep and then there will be little hope of restitution

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