Title
Title
Equal Access Fund | Distribution of Funds for Partnership Grants and IOLTA-Formula Grants (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The Budget Act of 2021 (Stats. 2021, ch. 21) includes over $65 million in the Equal Access Fund for general distribution to legal services providers and support centers. The funds are to be distributed primarily in two parts: IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts)-formula grants and partnership grants (with a small amount also distributed for administration). The Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the State Bar recommends approving distribution of $58,147,302 in IOLTA-formula grants for fiscal year (FY) 2021-22, according to the statutory formula in the state Budget Act, and $6,460,811 in partnership grants. The commission further requests approval of its findings that the proposed budget for each individual grant complies with statutory and other relevant guidelines.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Legal Services Trust Fund Commission recommends that the Judicial Council, effective October 1, 2021, approve:
1. The distribution of $58,147,302 in IOLTA-formula grants for FY 2021-22 according to the terms of the state Budget Act;
2. The commission’s determination that the proposed budget of each individual grant complies with statutory and other guidelines;
3. The distribution of $2,580,574 in Equal Access Fund partnership grants commencing January 1, 2022, to legal services agencies for programs conducted jointly with courts to provide legal assistance to self-represented litigants as set forth on pages 11-13 of Attachment A; and
4. The distribution of an additional $3,880.237 for partnership grants to be awarded based on the application process set forth on pages 14-16 of Attachment A.