	Introduction

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a private, nonprofit, federally funded corporation that helps provide legal assistance to low-income people in noncriminal (i.e., civil) matters. The primary responsibility of the LSC is to manage and oversee the congressionally appropriated federal funds that it distributes in the form of grants to local legal services providers, which in turn give legal assistance to low-income clients in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Micronesia (which includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau). During 2015, the LSC funded 134 local programs in 812 offices employing about 4,591 attorneys. Local programs establish their own priorities and financial eligibility criteria subject to the LSC limits that stipulate that clients served may not have household income that exceeds 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, with limited exceptions for some household incomes of up to 200% of those guidelines. Under the LSC's competitive process, legal services providers in every jurisdiction bid to become the LSC grantee for a designated service area in a state. In 2015, 70% of LSC clients were females and 30% were males. Approximately 81% of LSC clients were between the ages of 18 and 59, almost 17% were age 60 or older, and 2% were under age 18. Funds for the LSC are included in the annual appropriation for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). Although the LSC is the largest single source of funding for the civil legal services system in the United States, it is not the only source of funding. Local legal services programs supplement their LSC grants with funds from a variety of government and private sources. As shown in Table 3 , in 2015 LSC funding accounted for 38% of the $966.0 million spent in the United States and territories for civil legal services for the poor. Pursuant to P.L. Pursuant to P.L. 114-113 (the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016), enacted December 18, 2015, the LSC was funded for FY2016 at $385 million. The FY2016 LSC appropriation included $352 million for basic field programs and required independent audits, $19 million for management and grants oversight, $4 million for client self-help and information technology, $5 million for the Office of the Inspector General, $1.0 million for loan repayment assistance, and $4 million for a pro bono innovation fund. FY2017
For FY2017, the Obama Administration requested $475.0 million for the LSC. On April 21, 2016, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported their FY2017 CJS appropriations bill ( S. 2837 ), which recommended $395 million for the LSC for FY2017. This amount is $10 million more than the FY2016 appropriation and $80 million less than the Administration's budget request. On June 7, 2016, the House Committee on Appropriations reported their FY2017 CJS appropriations bill ( H.R. 5393 ), which included an appropriation of $350 million for the LSC for FY2017. This amount is $35 million less than the FY2016 appropriation and $125 million less than the Administration's budget request. 114-223 (the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act; enacted September 29, 2016), the LSC was funded for FY2017 at the FY2016 rate of $385 million annually (prorated) minus an across-the-board reduction of 0.496%, through December 9, 2016, or enactment of applicable appropriations legislation. Pursuant to P.L. 114-254 (Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017; enacted December 10, 2016), the LSC is funded for FY2017 at the FY2016 rate of $385 million annually (prorated) minus an across-the-board reduction of 0.1901%, through April 28, 2017, or enactment of applicable appropriations legislation. It is important to note that since FY1996, all of the LSC appropriations laws have included language stipulating the retention of provisions restricting the activities of LSC grantees enacted in previous LSC appropriations laws.
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a private, nonprofit, federally funded corporation that helps provide legal assistance to low-income people in civil (i.e., noncriminal) matters. The primary responsibility of the LSC is to manage and oversee the congressionally appropriated federal funds that it distributes in the form of grants to local legal services providers, which in turn give legal assistance to low-income clients in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Micronesia (which includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau).
The authorization of appropriations for the LSC expired at the end of FY1980. Since then the LSC has operated under annual appropriations laws. Moreover, since FY1996 all of the LSC appropriations laws have included language that restricts the activities of LSC grantees.
Pursuant to P.L. 114-113 (the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016), enacted December 18, 2015, the LSC was funded for FY2016 at $385 million. The FY2016 LSC appropriation included $352 million for basic field programs and required independent audits, $19 million for management and grants oversight, $4 million for client self-help and information technology, $5 million for the Office of the Inspector General, $1.0 million for loan repayment assistance, and $4 million for a pro bono innovation fund.
For FY2017, the Obama Administration requested $475.0 million for the LSC. On April 21, 2016, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported their FY2017 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill (S. 2837), which recommended $395 million for the LSC for FY2017. This amount is $10 million more than the FY2016 appropriation and $80 million less than the Administration's budget request. On June 7, 2016, the House Committee on Appropriations reported their FY2017 CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 5393), which included an appropriation of $350 million for the LSC for FY2017. This amount is $35 million less than the FY2016 appropriation and $125 million less than the Administration's budget request. Pursuant to P.L. 114-223 (the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act; enacted September 29, 2016), the LSC was funded for FY2017 at the FY2016 rate of $385 million annually (prorated) minus an across-the-board reduction of 0.496%, through December 9, 2016, or enactment of applicable appropriations legislation. Pursuant to P.L. 114-254 (Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017; enacted December 10, 2016), the LSC is funded for FY2017 at the FY2016 rate of $385 million annually (prorated) minus an across-the-board reduction of 0.1901%, through April 28, 2017, or enactment of applicable appropriations legislation.
Under the LSC's competitive process, legal services providers in every jurisdiction bid to become the LSC grantee for a designated service area in a state. During 2015, the LSC funded 134 local programs/grantees in 812 offices employing 4,591 attorneys. Local programs establish their own priorities and financial eligibility criteria subject to the LSC limits that stipulate that clients served may not have household income that exceeds 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, with limited exceptions for some household incomes of up to 200% of those guidelines. In 2015, 70% of LSC clients were females and 30% were males. The majority of LSC clients (81%) were between the ages of 18 and 59, 17% were age 60 or older, and 2% were under the age of 18. In 2015, 44% of LSC clients were non-Hispanic white, 28% were non-Hispanic black, 3% were Asian or Pacific Islander, nearly 3% were Native American, nearly 4% were of other races, and 18% were Hispanic. In 2015, LSC grantees closed 755,774 cases involving issues primarily related to families (divorce, child support, etc.), housing, income maintenance, consumer finance, and health.
Although the LSC is the largest single source of funding for the civil legal services system in the United States, it is not the only source of funding. Local legal services programs supplement their LSC grants with funds from a variety of governmental and private sources. LSC funding accounts for 38% of all funding for civil legal services for the poor in the United States (including the District of Columbia and the territories).