NCJ Number
123055
Journal
Judicature Volume: 73 Issue: 5 Dated: (February-March 1990) Pages: 273-280
Date Published
1990
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This case study examines the effectiveness of rural legal aid services provided under local control through funding by the Federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC).
Abstract
When the LSC replaced the Office of Economic Opportunity Legal Service Program, LSC sought to remedy an omission of the previous Federal legal aid, i.e., legal aid for the poor in rural areas. This case study examined such a program in a county approximately 100 miles from the closest large city. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews in the winter of 1982 with all four lawyers and one paralegal in the legal services program. Interviews were also conducted with 15 persons representing organizations that interact with the program. The county bar association controlled the program by writing its charter, which ensured that a majority of the program's board would share values and norms with prominent members of the bar. The board controlled the program to restrict its growth, determine the types of cases program attorneys could handle, and influence the types of legal strategies used. The program has been valuable in protecting and furthering its clients' legal rights; however, the program has been unable to provide the same scope of legal services as attorneys for more affluent clients. Federal programs that encourage local control of program operations can expect the activities of local grantees to reflect prevailing values and norms which in turn reflect prevailing distributions of power. 29 footnotes.