History of ILA 9.10
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Transcript of History of ILA 9.10
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By 1922, there were 33 legal aid offices in the
United States. The vast majority were totally
dependent on local charitable donations.
Iowa Legal Aid is part of a nationwide
network of
organizations dedicated to providing
legal assistance tolow-income individuals, elderly Iowans,
persons with disabilities, and those
living in institutions.
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Legal Aid programs in
Iowa date back to 1951,
when the Legal AidSociety of Polk County was founded through
the efforts of the community foundation, the
local bar association and Drake University toprovide services to low-income residents of
Polk County.
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In 1965, Congress passed an act establishing the
Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). In Iowa,
four new legal aid societies were organized under
OEO auspices. They were located in Dubuque,Iowa City, Council Bluffs-Omaha and Waterloo.
Each office, like the Legal Aid Society of Polk
County, was restricted to representing low-incomepeople who resided in the county where the office
was located.
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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION P.L. 93-355 Established 1974
The Legal Services
Corporation (LSC) is in
Washington, D.C.
Governed by 11-member
Board of Directors, who are
nominated by US President.
Receives annual
appropriations from
Congress.
Statutory responsibility:
to support high qualitylegal assistance to
those who would be
otherwise unable to
afford adequate legalcounsel.
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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION P.L. 93-355 Established 1974
Not politically partisan.
Corporate form encouragescreative problem-solving.
Requires careful evaluation
of all funded programs for
efficiency and efficacy.
Founded on the
Congressional
judgment:
that equal access to
the system of justice in
our Nation must beprovided to all
individuals, regardless
of their financial status.
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Created in 1977 (then
Legal Services
Corporation of Iowa)
by merger of existinglegal services
organizations in
Dubuque, Waterloo,
Iowa City, and CouncilBluffs.
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Between 1977 and
1979, new offices
opened in Sioux City,
Des Moines, MasonCity, Cedar Rapids,
Ottumwa, Spencer,
Creston, Fort Dodge,
Decorah andBurlington
For the first time, low-income Iowans in all corners of
the state had access to a legal services office.
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A severe fundingdecrease in 1981 caused
the closure of offices in
Creston, Burlington,
Decorah, Fort Dodge andSpencer.
These reductions forced
further consolidation ofservices and staff
reductions.
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Funding cuts andrestrictions imposed by
Congress in 1994 lead
Iowa Legal Aid to form a
partnership with the IowaAttorney
Generals office.
The Iowa legislaturehas helped fund legal
services in Iowa since
1996.
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The Iowa State BarAssociation and
individual lawyers
provide support, too.
Many other community
groups and individuals
have stepped up to help
Iowas most vulnerableresidents.
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Legal Services
Corporation of Iowa
and the
Legal Aid Society of PolkCounty
merged in 2003 to
form Iowa Legal Aid.
Iowa Legal Aid serves all 99 counties in the state.
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