Legal Aid receives Pro Bono Innovation Grant

September 2015 -- The Legal Services Corporation announced today that 15 legal aid organizations will
receive grants to support innovations in pro bono legal services for low-income
clients.

Many of the projects will use technology to connect low-income populations to
resources and services, while others aim to increase efficiency and effectiveness
through partnerships with law schools, community organizations, and in-house
corporate attorneys. Some projects will address issues affecting specific populations
such as seniors, veterans, and low-income students.

All the projects seek to engage and recruit pro bono lawyers and other volunteers
to leverage LSC's federal funding and increase the resources available to low-income
clients.

''We are grateful to Congress for establishing our Pro Bono Innovation Fund to
increase pro bono support for civil legal aid," said LSC President Jim Sandman.

"The grants we are funding will expand the resources available to serve low-income
people and engage more private lawyers and law students in rewarding pro bono
work."

The creation of the fund was recommended by LSC's Pro Bono Task Force in
2012. Congress allocated $2.5 million for it in its FY 2014 budget and increased that
allocation to $4 million in its FY 2015 budget.

Read about all the grant awards here. Cleveland Legal Aid is featured beginning on page 20.