history of ila 9.10

8/7/2019 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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history of ila 9.10

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