Op-Ed: Defunding the Legal Services Corporation will significantly harm Illinoisans
By JUSTICE DAVID OVERSTREET, Illinois Supreme Court
and RON FLAGG, president of the Legal Services Corporation
Domestic violence survivors who need help getting a court order to keep their abusers away. Seniors who need peace of mind from a will and power of attorney. Veterans who need help getting Social Security. All of these Illinoisans may soon find it harder to get free legal help.
The Administration’s proposed elimination of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which funds free legal assistance for Americans, would have disastrous effects on residents of central and southern Illinois. Land of Lincoln Legal Aid has been providing free legal help to Illinoisans in 65 counties for 53 years, and currently 20 percent of its funding comes from LSC.
Civil legal problems can be devastating for Illinoisans and their families. Courts routinely see individuals who want an attorney but must represent themselves in matters that mean the most to them: their homes, their safety, their income, and their families. Access to an attorney can mean the difference between staying housed and homeless, between maintaining health insurance and going without care; it can remedy many serious problems that Illinoisans face every day. The civil legal help provided by Land of Lincoln Legal Aid is essential for many working families who have a legal problem and cannot afford a lawyer. Last year, attorneys at Land of Lincoln assisted almost 13,000 Illinoisans with their legal problems.
LSC distributes federal funding to civil legal aid programs in every U.S. state, territory and the district of Columbia. If Congress does not preserve LSC’s funding in the federal budget, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid—and 129 other similar programs nationwide—will lose key resources that enable them to effectively serve our communities.
LSC’s funding is essential because it provides flexible operating support—the kind of support that allows Land of Lincoln Legal Aid to respond in real time to what our community is facing. Whether it’s a flood that displaces dozens of families or the rapid closure of a mobile home park, LSC funds give grantees like Land of Lincoln the ability to meet local needs.
For example, Land of Lincoln is proud to support veterans, service members, and their families through two dedicated medical-legal partnerships. These programs provide free legal assistance in coordination with V.A. healthcare providers to address critical civil legal issues that affect veterans’ overall well-being, such as access to benefits, housing stability, and healthcare rights. In 2024 alone, Land of Lincoln helped 691 veterans, service members, and their families navigate legal challenges and secure the support they’ve earned through their service.
State and local funding will not cover the loss of LSC funding. Land of Lincoln, and other legal aid programs, have relied on federal support for half a century. Eliminating LSC would destabilize a strong and vital network of legal aid organizations dedicated to ensuring justice is accessible at all income levels.
For fiscal year 2025, LSC received a congressional appropriation of $560 million. This accounts for 0.035% of the discretionary budget. This relatively small expenditure makes a huge impact on the wellbeing of working Americans. This is not frivolous government waste—this is an investment in justice for all, and these are our federal tax dollars coming back to serve our community.
Legal aid also supports a healthy economy. According to LSC’s research, legal aid returns $7 for every $1 invested, on average. By solving or preventing legal problems, programs like Land of Lincoln Legal Aid help to reduce strain on law enforcement and the courts and prevent costly public spending on emergency medical care and shelters. Funding LSC is not just an investment in justice—it’s an investment in our economy.
Without LSC funding, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid will lose staff and be forced to shrink the number of cases it handles. It may not be able to help people like our recent client, Monica, who came to Land of Lincoln determined to rebuild her life but unable to find work due to a criminal record. Unemployed and living in transitional housing, she dreamed of a fresh start in healthcare or public service. Land of Lincoln’s legal team filed petitions that resulted in the majority of her records being expunged or sealed. With her record cleared, Monica secured a job at a local hospital—proof that with the right support, a second chance can lead to a new beginning.
If Congress does not reject the proposed elimination of LSC, fewer seniors targeted by scams will be able to turn to Land of Lincoln Legal Aid for help. Fewer residents looking for work will receive Land of Lincoln’s assistance in clearing their old criminal records and getting jobs. Fewer families will have Land of Lincoln’s support when they are facing the loss of their homes due to eviction, foreclosure or natural disasters.
The bottom line is this: Illinoisans can’t afford to lose LSC.
