At a time when the need for civil legal aid has never been greater, the White House has again called for the elimination of legal aid funding. The last federal funding bill for the Legal Services Corporation cut grants by 3.6%. This small cut represents a rejection of calls for ending funding and strong bipartisan support for legal aid. However, this cut will have real consequences, including an estimated $260,000 cut for Colorado Legal Services, meaning fewer Coloradans can get the help they need to stay housed and stay safe.
In March, leaders from Colorado’s legal community traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for federal legal aid funding at this critical moment. Delegation members included Chalyse Robinson, Legal Aid Foundation Board President; Elizabeth “Liz” Och, COLTAF Board President; Nicoal Sperrazza, Colorado Bar and Denver Bar Associations Executive Director & CEO; and Tyler Mounsey, Colorado Bar Association Director of Legislative Relations, and Jordan Bates-Rogers, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation and COLTAF. Together, they met with members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, including former Legal Aid Foundation board member Representative Jeff Hurd, to underscore the real impact of these cuts.
We are deeply grateful to the Colorado Bar Association for its significant assistance in organizing this trip.