Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), the White Plains-based provider of civil legal services to those that cannot afford an attorney, will receive a $210,140 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant from the Legal Services Corp. (LSC) in Washington, D.C.
LSC is the country”™s largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. Established in 1974, LSC is headed by a bipartisan board of directors whose 11 members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Congress recently provided additional funding for LSC”™s Pro Bono Innovation Fund.
LSHV will use the grant to help recruit and train pro bono volunteers from law firms to provide full representation to clients facing housing emergencies, including wrongful evictions.
Barbara Finkelstein, LSHV”™s CEO, said, “Due to the overwhelming need for free civil legal services, our staff is not able to serve all the clients that come to us for help. The Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant will enable us to address this gap in services, by engaging attorneys at private firms to volunteer their time and expertise on cases that the agency wouldn”™t otherwise be able to handle.”
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey promised, “As ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to secure these types of federal resources to directly benefit the Lower Hudson Valley.”
