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 2019 includes over $45 million in the Equal Access Fund for distribution to legal services providers and support centers. The Judicial Council has approved an allocation of $20 million in funding for homelessness prevention projects. The remaining 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 $23,039,910 in IOLTA-formula grants for fiscal year (FY) 2019-20, according to the statutory formula in the state Budget Act, and $2,666,000 in partnership grants for 2020. 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 September 24, 2019, approve:
1. The distribution of $23,039,910 in IOLTA-formula grants for FY 2019-20 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; and
3. The distribution of $2,666,000 in Equal Access Fund partnership grants to the following legal services agencies for programs conducted jointly with courts to provide legal assistance to self-represented litigants:
a. Bet Tzedek Legal Services
Self-Help Elder and Dependent Adult Restraining Order Clinic
(Los Angeles County) ........................................................................................... $80,000
b. Central California Legal Services, Inc.
Guardianship Project .......................................................................................... $70,000
Tenant/Landlord Housing Law Project (Fresno) ................................................... $71,000
Tulare County Unlawful Detainer Workshop ...................................................... $70,000
c. Community Legal Aid SoCal
Consumer Debt Workshop at Norwalk Courthouse (Los Angeles) ...................... $37,000
Orange County Community Court Clinic ............................................................ $29,000
Orange County Consumer Debt Workshop ........................................................... $48,000
Unlawful Detainer Workshop at Norwalk Courthouse (Los Angeles) ................... $59,000
d. East Bay Community Law Center
Traffic Flash Clinic (Alameda) ............................................................................. $44,000
e. Elder Law and Advocacy
Imperial County Unlawful Detainer/Elder Abuse Restraining Order Clinic ........... $68,000
f. Family Violence Law Center
Domestic Violence Pro Per Project (Alameda) .................................................... $25,000
g. Greater Bakersfield Legal Services
Partnership Shriver Grant (Kern) ........................................................................ $96,000
h. Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
Probate Clinic (San Joaquin) ............................................................................... $120,000
i. Justice and Diversity Center
Family Law Assisted Self-Help/Case Resolution (FLASH/CARE) Project
(San Francisco)...................................................................................... $50,000
Shriver-SASH Self-Help Custody (San Francisco) .............................................. $70,000
j. LACBA (Los Angeles County Bar Association) Counsel for Justice
Domestic Violence Legal Services Project (Los Angeles) ..................................... $91,000
k. Legal Access Alameda
Alameda County Family Law Day of Court Project ............................................ $30,000
Family Law Status Conference Project ................................................................. $65,000
l. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Torrance Self-Help Center ................................................................................ $100,000
m. Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara
Legal Resource Center Partnership (Lompoc and Santa Barbara) ....................... $110,000
n. Legal Aid of Marin
Community Court Expansion .............................................................................. $80,000
o. Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino
Caregivers Accessing Justice Guardianship Program .......................................... $85,000
p. Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc.
Name & Gender Change Clinic .......................................................................... $85,000
Unlawful Detainer Clinic Expansion Project ......................................................... $80,000
q. Legal Assistance for Seniors
Partnership to Assist Guardianship Litigants (Alameda) ....................................... $50,000
Partnership to Assist Limited Conservatorship Litigants (Alameda) .................... $60,000
r. Legal Services of Northern California
Mother Lode Pro Per Project (Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Placer) ................ $98,000
Small Claims, Guardianship & Shriver Housing Self-Help Project (Yolo) .......... $85,000
s. Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice
Family Law Information for Parents ..................................................................... $90,000
t. Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
Chatsworth Self-Help Legal Access Center Project ............................................... $75,000
Pasadena Unlawful Detainer Assistance Project .................................................. $50,000
Shriver LA Self-Help Unlawful Detainer Clinic.................................................. $90,000
u. Public Counsel
Guardianship Clinic (Los Angeles) ....................................................................... $30,000
v. Public Law Center
De Facto and Adoptive Parent Assistance Project ................................................. $50,000
Orange County Courthouse Guardianship Clinic ................................................... $60,000
w. Riverside Legal Aid
Small Estates Assistance Program .................................................................... $105,000
x. San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
Central Division Restraining Order Clinic ........................................................ $100,000
y. Santa Clara University Alexander Law Center
Consumer Debt Clinic.....................................................................$60,000
Total $2,666,000