by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid will soon undergo a shift in funding because it will no longer accept money from Legal Services Corporation, a federally-funded program established in 1974.
According to Michael Figgins, executive director of JALA, LSC funding prevents Legal Aid from handling class action lawsuits, accepting legal fees and representing incarcerated clients.
By 2004, JALA will most likely be independent of LSC’s money, and the restrictions which Congress enacted in 1996.
“Legal aid board members have always been chafed that Congress left poor people with half a lawyer,” said Figgins.
Figgins said not being able to accept attorney’s fees is particularly burdensome to JALA because the fees are an incentive for opposing counsel to settle out of court.
“If we can’t claim them, there is no reason for the other side to settle,” he said. “In the past, without restrictions, we routinely brought in $75-100,000 a year in fees.”
While many legal aid budgets are 80-90 percent funded by LSC, locally it is about 25 percent.
“We either have to accept restrictions or give up funding,” said Figgins.
Because JALA only has 25 percent of its funding coming from LSC, Figgins said he is confident they will be able to function without it.
“Jacksonville Legal Aid is blessed with the support of the community,” said Figgins. “We’re hoping The Florida Bar will assist in making up a substantial part of the difference.”
Other JALA funding comes from fund raising campaigns, the City and numerous grants. JALA recently was awarded $31,420 from the Jessie Ball duPont Community Building Fund for reflective analysis, which is especially helpful because JALA will soon undergo some changes.
“They are at a stage now that is an ideal time for them to evaluate who they are as an agency,” said David Pierson, a program consultant for the duPont Foundation.
The money LSC has allotted to Region 2, which includes Jacksonville and Gainesville, won’t go to waste. Gainesville’s Three Rivers Legal Services, a program similar to JALA, will use the funds to establish a hotline that will be staffed in Jacksonville. Perspective clients will be able to find out over the phone whether they are eligible for Legal Aid services, if they have priority status and when they can see an attorney. That will eliminate the lengthy application processes and intake procedures that currently consume 40 percent of JALA’s time.
“The work load will change,” said Figgins, “the lawyers will be able to do more lawyering, and better lawyering.”
Figgins said the staff is looking forward to the changes.
“We’re still in the planning stages,” said Figgins. “I think it is a comment on the strength of Legal Aid in Jacksonville and on the Bar’s support that we can contemplate this. The average person or attorney won’t notice much of a difference. It will change what we can do on behalf of our clients and we’re all excited about that.”