News Release
May 10, 2010
Contact: Steve
Davis, Court Communications Officer, (515)725-8058
Supreme
Court Grants Provide Legal Services For Low-Income Iowans
Des
Moines, May 10, 2010The
Iowa Supreme Court has approved more than $430,640 in grants to programs that
help provide civil legal assistance to low-income Iowans. The court awarded
grants to 16 projects involving 15 different organizations throughout
Iowa. The grant awards are made through the Interest on the Lawyers' Trust
Account (IOLTA) program. With this year's grants, the Supreme Court has
awarded more than $22,562,000 in IOLTA grants since the program began on July
1, 1985. However, the amount of IOLTA grants awarded this year dropped
dramatically from previous years due to reduced interest rates and generally
lower average balances in many lawyer trust accounts. The court awarded grants
totaling $1.32 million in 2007, grants totaling $1.33 million in 2008 and
grants totaling $875,488 in 2009. This year, grant awards are at the lowest
level since the first year of the program in 1985.
"Meeting the
civil legal needs of low-income Iowans is one of the most serious challenges
facing our legal system. This problem has existed for years, but now it is
worse. Because of the effects of the recession, even more people have
serious civil legal problems and even more people do not have the financial
means to hire an attorney," said Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha
Ternus. "Now the recession has reduced our capacity to support non-profit
programs that assist these people."
"To help fill
the gap, we need more lawyers to volunteer their time and services," said Chief
Justice Ternus. "Last fall, the supreme court called upon all Iowa lawyers
to donate at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services each year. Many
attorneys already donate their services, but many more need to join the ranks
of pro bono attorneys."
IOLTA grant
funds are generated entirely from interest earned on certain pooled trust
accounts held by lawyers. Attorneys practicing law in Iowa are required by
court order to deposit clients' funds being held by the lawyer in
interest-bearing accounts. When the funds involved are so small in amount or
held for such a brief period of time that it is not possible for the funds to economically
benefit the individual client, court rules require that they be deposited in
pooled interest-bearing trust accounts.
The IOLTA
program is managed by a seven-member commission that reviews grant applications
and then makes award recommendations to the supreme court. In the 24-year
history of the IOLTA program, most of the grant awards have been directed to
support organizations that assist low-income Iowans with civil legal problems
such as divorce, domestic abuse, unsafe housing and illegal evictions. Grants
have also been presented to law-related education projects. IOLTA grants do not
support criminal legal defense.
The following
grants have been awarded for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010 and ending
June 30, 2011:
Iowa Legal Aid (Des Moines) $200,000.00
For legal
staff to serve regional offices of the grantee in an established program of
civil case assistance to low-income Iowans. (Service area: statewide).
HELP
Through Education and Law Program, Inc. (Davenport) $29,000.00
For legal
staff to offer civil legal assistance to indigent and elderly persons,
particularly in the areas of domestic relations, community legal education,
service to the institutionalized elderly and domestic abused, and
administrative advocacy. (Service area: two-county area including Scott
and Clinton.)
Muscatine
Legal Services $6,800.00
For
additional legal staff to maintain an existing program of civil legal
assistance to low-income residents. (Service area: Muscatine County.)
Legal Aid
Society of Story County (Nevada) $13,500.00
For legal
staff support to offset demand for legal assistance for low-income persons.
(Service area: Story County.)
Polk
County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (Des Moines) $50,500.00
For staff for
volunteer lawyer referral service in Polk County serving the low-income
community. (Service area: Polk County.)
Sioux
County Low Fee Panel, Sioux County Bar Association (Sioux Center) $1,575.00
For funds to
provide civil legal assistance for economically disadvantaged individuals in
the Sioux County area. (Service area: Sioux County.)
Iowa State
Bar Association Public Service Project (Des Moines) $51,500.00
For staff and
technical support to increase the participation of attorneys in existing
volunteer lawyer projects for indigent Iowans and provide assistance to legal
service agencies. (Service area: statewide.)
Civil
Legal Assistance Fund (Mason City) $6,800.00
For funds to
provide civil legal assistance to low-income fathers, mothers, or children
involved in dissolution of marriage or modification cases in which other legal
assistance is not available. (Service area: Second Judicial District.)
Know Your
Constitution Committee of the Young Lawyers Division, Iowa State Bar
Association (Des Moines) $2,565.00
For funds for
the Know Your Constitution Program, which provides education to Iowa high
school students about the United States Constitution. (Service area: statewide)
Clinical
Law Program, Drake University Law School Legal Clinic (Des Moines) $14,000.00
For funds to
continue the Poverty Law Internship Program, a clinical law program in which
upper level law students intern with legal service providers throughout the
state. (Service area: statewide.)
Iowa Legal
Aid (Des Moines) $34,000.00
For legal
staff support to continue the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans. (Service area:
statewide.)
Iowa
Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Des Moines) $4,050.00
For funds to
provide immigration and domestic violence related legal services to battered immigrant
women and their children. (Service area: statewide.)
Iowa
Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Des Moines) $4,400.00
For funds to
support law-related education and attorney training specific to the issues of
sexual assault on Iowa youth. (Service area: statewide.)
Iowa
Justice For Our Neighbors (Des Moines) $6,800.00
For funds to
provide legal services to low-income immigrants involved in removal proceedings
or other immigration-law matters. (Service area: statewide.)
Kids First
Law Center (Cedar Rapids) $2,650.00
For funds to
provide legal services to children in high-conflict divorce and custody cases
when their parents cannot afford counsel for them. (Service area:
Two-county area including Linn and Johnson)
Centerville
Community Betterment (Centerville) $2,500.00
For
funds to provide civil legal assistance for economically disadvantaged
individuals in the Appanoose County and Monroe County areas. (Service
area: Appanoose County and Monroe County.)
For further
information contact: Paul H. Wieck II, Director
Office of Professional Regulation
Judicial Branch Building
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Telephone: (515) 725-8029
# # #
2010
Iowa
Supreme Court
1111
East Court Avenue
Des
Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3952
