About Civil Legal Aid
 |
"Having a compassionate, sympathetic, and knowledgeable attorney guide us through this process gave us the words to describe our situation. Terrible experiences like this take years to recover from and sometimes never go away. We had more help from our attorney than we did from anyone so far." — FEMA Appeals Clients affected by Hurricane Florence |
Legal Issue SummariesCivil legal aid helps our most vulnerable citizens gain access to justice – view the below resources for more information.
- Civil Legal Aid
- Domestic Violence
- Loan Repayment Assistance for Public Service Attorneys
- Surviving the Storm: How Civil Legal Help Is Vital to Recovery from Hurricane Florence
Legal Aid Organizations
Civil legal aid organizations across the state provide services in a range of geographic and substantive areas. These organizations may be limited by geographical or substantive areas of law; for providers in North Carolina and their areas of work, view this list.
Economic Impact Study “A 108% Return on Investment: The Economic Impact to the State of North Carolina of Civil Legal Services in 2012,” found the work of legal services providers across the state generated $48,775,276 in economic impact that year. Measured impact included (1) direct economic benefits received on behalf of clients for example, food stamps, supplemental security and social security disability, welfare assistance, and tax-related awards, (2) indirect economic impact felt by the state and local economies on account of direct benefits received, and (3) cost savings to the state and local economies due to the advocacy of providers in domestic violence, foreclosure, and eviction prevention. For more information about the economic benefits of civil legal aid, read the executive summary and full report. For additional information, see “The Bottom Line – Legal Services is a Good Investment,” published in the North Carolina State Bar Journal Volume 19, Number 3, page 18.
Cy Pres & Other Court AwardsThe use of the Cy Pres doctrine in class action settlements, as well as mediation, arbitration, and settlement agreements, can be valuable sources of funding for legal aid providers. “Cy Pres & Other Court Awards Can Increase Access to Justice: A reference for North Carolina attorneys & judges” is a manual providing information on different types of court awards, tips for structuring award agreements, examples of awards, and a primer on how to structure a Cy Pres settlement.