Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. Receives $264,904 Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant

WASHINGTON – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced today that Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. will receive a $264,904 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant. LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund is intended to encourage and expand robust pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income clients.

Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) will use the grant to create a new pro bono team that will be led by a director, regional pro bono coordinators, and staff in every office throughout the program’s service area. The program’s first goal will be to integrate current volunteer attorneys into LawNY’s newest practice areas—the consumer unit and community economic development project.

“We are grateful to Congress for establishing the Pro Bono Innovation Fund and for increasing funding by $500,000 this year,” said Jim Sandman, President of LSC. “These grants stimulate more volunteer participation by the private bar, leverage the federal investment in civil legal aid, and allow our grantees to reach more people in need of civil legal assistance.”

Members of the New York congressional delegation applauded the grant:

Representative Tom Reed: “I care about those who seek legal assistance but cannot afford attorneys. Legal Assistance of Western New York gives their clients a fair shot and this grant will enable more partnerships to form to help as many people as possible. I thank Legal Services Corporation for selecting Legal Assistance of Western New York to receive this federal grant.”

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. is one of 15 recipients of grants from LSC’s $4.5 million Pro Bono Innovation Fund, a competitive program that invests in projects that identify and promote replicable innovations in pro bono for low-income legal aid clients. This is the fifth year LSC has awarded Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants.

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