New Funding to Strengthen Pro Bono Legal Help in Kentucky

Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (LABG) was announced as one of only 12 legal aid organizations in the nation to receive a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant through the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) last week. This funding comes as the pandemic has worsened housing and income stability across the country.

The $439,999 grant to LABG will help the organization transform its pro bono program into a more technologically integrated and efficient practice in the core legal areas of housing, family benefits and consumer rights. A pro bono manager will lead the effort and incorporate new methods of communication with volunteer attorneys and increase technological support and mentorship. 

LABG will also launch a pilot program to secure pro bono representation in eviction cases. This project will encourage attorneys to regularly volunteer for eviction docket dates and provide extended representation to clients facing eviction.

“Pro bono assistance enables legal aid programs to leverage their limited government-funded staff resources with privately contributed services,” said LSC President Ronald S. Flagg. “LSC’s pro bono grants fund innovative and replicable projects that promote volunteer efforts and enable legal aid programs to help many more people in need.” 

Read the LSC press release about all grant recipients at https://www.lsc.gov/press-release/2021-pro-bono-innovation-fund-grant-recipients.

This week the ABA is celebrating Pro Bono Week with a focus on Moving Forward in a Post-Pandemic World. LABG aims to move forward and upward as their transformation grant strengthens the bridge that connects people with lawyers to increase access to justice. “Pro bono lawyers are a backbone of our organization”, says Joshua Crabtree, Executive Director of LABG. He adds “Their contributions to our communities are significant, but the need continues to grow. We encourage all those in the legal profession to join us in ensuring fairness, protecting families, and changing lives.”

LABG works to resolve the most pressing problems of low-income and other vulnerable people by providing high-quality legal assistance through direct representation, education, advice, advocacy, and coordination with other community resources.