Winter
2000 - Volume 4, Number 1
Legal Aid Articles
From
the Chair...
The Chair of the Standing Committee on Legal
Aid and Indigent Defendants discusses current issues and events
National
Public Awareness Campaign Profiled
Multi-phase initiative
from the Project for the Future of Equal Justice is now underway
 From the
Chair…
by Doreen D. Dodson
Chair, Standing
Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants
I am happy to report on a number of positive developments
regarding delivery of civil legal services to the poor.
Legal Services Corporation Funding
Increase
On November 29, 1999, President Clinton signed
the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill for FY2000, which
included $305 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC)-a $5
million increase over the FY99 appropriation. However, LSC will
actually receive $303.9 million due to a .38 percent
across-the-board cut in domestic discretionary spending imposed in
separate legislation. ABA and state and local bar association
leaders were instrumental in advocating for continued funding for
the LSC. Thank you to all who participated!
The process for seeking FY 2001 funding for LSC will begin soon
in Congress. We hope all Dialogue readers will continue to
work for LSC funding-writing letters and setting up meetings with
your members of Congress while they are home in their districts this
winter. For updates on developments, please visit the ABA web site
at www.abanet.org/legadv/
The increased funding received by the LSC this year is to be
devoted to a special program to enhance the technology available to
grantees. Most local grantees will see a slight reduction in basic
LSC funding awards, but will have the opportunity to seek additional
funding for technology improvements. The LSC will be issuing a
request for proposals soon; it expects to fund at least one major
"model technology program," and to make a number of awards to
grantees to improve technology systems or to launch discrete
technology-based initiatives.
Other Funding Advances
A number of states
experienced great success during 1999 in finding new sources of
funding, or expanding available funds, to support the delivery of
civil legal services to the poor. Three states-California, Colorado
and West Virginia-obtained new state appropriations for legal
services for the poor. Increases in state funding were approved in
Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia. Details on funding
mechanisms and achievements in all states are available from the
Committee's web site: www.abanet.org/legalservices/sclaid.html.
Congratulations to the many bar and legal services leaders who have
worked so hard to expand and diversify the funding base for legal
services programs!
Project for the Future of Equal Justice Develops
National Public Awareness Campaign
The Project for the Future of
Equal Justice is developing a national public awareness campaign to
increase support for civil legal assistance to the poor. The Project
is a joint initiative of the National Legal Aid and Defender
Association and the Center for Law and Social Policy. Funded by the
Open Society Institute and the Ford Foundation, the Project's
mission is to expand and strengthen the national infrastructure that
supports the development in every state of a comprehensive,
integrated system to provide low-income people with the information,
assistance and advocacy they need to resolve their legal problems.
The public awareness campaign is intended to create an environment
that cultivates the public support and funding necessary to develop
and sustain these systems in the states.
Facing growing demands for civil legal assistance to the poor and
diminished and restricted funding from the Legal Services
Corporation, provider organizations at the national, state and local
levels are seeking new and expanded financial support from a variety
of sources. These sources include national, regional and community
foundations, individual donors, law firms, corporations, state
legislatures, United Way organizations, and county and city
agencies. In addition, those working within and on behalf of the
civil legal assistance community seek broader public support at the
national, state and local levels. Increased public support is
essential to ensure that policymakers prioritize civil legal
assistance for the poor as a cornerstone of the American justice
system.
In an effort to increase financial and public support,
organizations that provide civil legal assistance to the poor, and
supporters advocating on their behalf, need to develop an image that
portrays their work in a compelling way. To that end, the public
awareness campaign is designed to achieve three objectives:
- To educate the public and target audiences about the public
benefit and importance of civil legal assistance to the poor.
- To inform the public and target audiences about the amount of
unmet need for civil legal assistance to the poor.
- To address negative stereotypes about organizations that
provide civil legal assistance to the poor and about the clients
that they serve.
The Campaign Process
The campaign is a
multi-staged process that combines research and implementation. The
communications research firm of Belden, Russonello and Stewart has
been retained to conduct Phases I and II. Phase I,
which has been completed, included a review of existing public
opinion data about Americans' attitudes toward legal assistance to
the poor. The consultants reviewed prior opinion research conducted
by the ABA, the Legal Services Corporation, the American Civil
Liberties Union and others. The consultants also interviewed twenty
professionals working within the legal assistance community to
assess the community's self-image, as well as perceptions of the
obstacles to improving the image.
Existing Public Opinion Data
- The consultants first reviewed Americans' attitudes toward
low-income persons in general, and the public perception of why
certain people are poor. The review of existing public opinion
data revealed a fundamental tension between two values:
fairness and individual
responsibility. The data showed that the degree of
Americans' commitment to each of these values has fluctuated since
1965. At the inception of the Clinton Administration in 1992, 52%
of the poll and survey respondents indicated that they believed
people were poor most often because of circumstances beyond their
control. With the onset of the welfare reform debate in 1995 and
the Republican Congress' Contract with America, 62% of the
respondents indicated that they believed people most often were
poor because of their lack of effort. As of 1998, the two values
were relatively evenly matched.
- The consultants also reviewed Americans' attitudes toward the
justice system and the legal profession. The data revealed that a
strong majority of Americans has confidence in the justice system,
but that there is much less confidence in lawyers and the legal
profession. The data also showed that a strong majority of the
public perceives that courts do not treat the poor and minorities
fairly, and that there is little confidence that poor people have
access to good lawyers who can assure them a fair trial.
- Finally, the consultants reviewed Americans' attitudes toward
civil legal aid for the poor. The data revealed that Americans are
broadly supportive of public resources for civil legal services,
and that nearly two-thirds oppose the reduction of federal funding
for the Legal Services Corporation. The data also indicated that
70% of survey respondents opposed the restriction of legal
representation of poor people in cases involving abortion rights,
immigration rights or challenges to welfare laws.
- Existing public opinion data suggests several problems and
possible openings for a communications campaign on civil legal
assistance for the poor. The hurdles include:
- The belief that certain people are poor because of their own
lack of hard work and effort, combined with the belief that
currently everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed in this
country;
- Little knowledge and concern about the lack of access to the
justice system for many people in the United States.
Some openings on which communications
initiatives can build include:
- Americans' strong support for unrestricted civil legal
assistance; and
- A general belief that the poor and minorities are not treated
fairly by the justice system.
Next Steps
The Project began Phase
II in November, 1999. This phase involves extensive
research and message development to explore the hurdles and openings
indicated in Phase I. The research includes focus groups, a national
poll, individual interviews with key audiences and additional focus
groups with target audiences to test draft messages. Potential
targeted audiences include the business community, national and
regional foundations and the private bar.
Based on the research and message testing, the consultant will
develop a message strategy for improving the public image of civil
legal assistance to the poor. This strategy will form the foundation
for a communications plan to implement the message to funding
communities and other target audiences.
In Phase III, the Project will finalize the
design of the communications plan to implement the message strategy.
This phase also will include campaign rollout through the national
and regional media, advertising or other means, and developing
products for educating and influencing target audiences at the
national, state and local levels, including brochures, videos,
talking points and press kits. In addition, this phase will include
communications training sessions for constituents regarding how to
utilize the campaign materials to increase funding and public
support for civil legal assistance to the poor. Finally, this phase
may include working with several pilot states to develop
communications strategies to enhance the image of civil legal
assistance organizations before key audiences in those states,
including state legislators and the private bar.
Advisory Committees
A Working Group will
guide Phases II and III. This group includes representatives of the
American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender
Association, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Legal
Services Corporation, the Management Information Exchange, the
National Association of IOLTA Providers, and local and statewide
organizations that provide civil legal assistance to the poor. The
Project also will seek the input of a larger group of advisors that
includes private attorneys, corporate counsel, foundation
representatives and leaders of other non-profit organizations. For
more information about the campaign, please contact the campaign
coordinator:
Bonnie Allen
Project for the
Future of Equal
Justice
NLADA
1625 K Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C.
20006
202/452-0620 x 221
FAX 202/872-1031
e-mail: b.allen@nlada.org
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