603 Legal Aid

TO MAKE ACCESS TO JUSTICE A REALITY BY PROVIDING CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN NEED.

603 LEGAL AID (603LA) IS THE FRONTLINE ENTRY POINT FOR STATEWIDE CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE STRIVE EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY LEGAL SERVICES POSSIBLE TO LOW-INCOME GRANITE STATERS. OUR GOAL IS TO CLOSE, IF NOT ELIMINATE, THE PERVASIVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE GAP THAT EXISTS IN EVERY COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WE HAVE SEVERAL SOURCES OF FUNDING, INCLUDING: FEDERAL, FOUNDATION, AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, 603LA IS SUPPORTED WITH FUNDING FROM THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION (LSC) AND THE IRS. OUR LSC FUNDING ENABLES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, OUR INTAKE TEAM TO PERFORM THE HERCULEAN TASK OF ASSESSING ALL INCOMING CIVIL LEGAL AID CASES FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND DETERMINE HOW TO BEST MEET THE APPLICANT'S LEGAL NEEDS. ELIGIBLE CLIENTS ARE EITHER REFERRED (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATION, NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGAL ASSISTANCE (NHLA) FOR DIRECT REPRESENTATION, TO ONE OF OUR IN-HOUSE ATTORNEYS OR PARALEGALS FOR ADVICE AND COUNSEL, OR TO OUR PRO BONO TEAM FOR PLACEMENT WITH A VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY. APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED HIGH QUALITY AND RELEVANT REFERRALS TO OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT AND SERVICE. FUNDING FROM THE IRS LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC GRANT SUPPORTS OUR LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER PROJECT (LITP), ALLOWING LOW-INCOME GRANITE STATERS TO RECEIVE PRO BONO SERVICES FROM ATTORNEYS AND QUALIFIED TAX PROFESSIONALS IN CONTROVERSIES WITH THE IRS. 603LA ALSO RECEIVES ARPA/VOCA AND VAWA GRANTS, DISTRIBUTED BY THE NH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, FOR OUR WORK SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, INCLUDING THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EMERGENCY (DOVE) PROJECT, WHICH CONNECTS LOW-INCOME VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH PRO BONO ATTORNEYS AT THEIR FINAL PROTECTIVE ORDER HEARINGS. IN ADDITION, 603LA IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE NH BAR FOUNDATION'S IOLTA FUNDING AND JUSTICE GRANTS, AS WELL AS FUNDING FROM THE NH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. FINALLY, INDIVIDUAL GIVING IS HANDLED JOINTLY FOR BOTH 603LA AND NHLA BY THE CAMPAIGN FOR LEGAL SERVICES. IN 2023, WE SERVED 1275 CASES BENEFITING OVER 2700 PEOPLE, AND AN ADDITIONAL 3300 PEOPLE RECEIVED A REFERRAL TO ANOTHER SOURCE OF SERVICES. THIS WORK, TOGETHER WITH SIGNIFICANT OUTREACH TO AND EDUCATION OF LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE, REFLECTS THE INVALUABLE IMPACT OF 603 LEGAL AID'S MISSION OF LEVELING THE LEGAL PLAYING FIELD AND ENSURING THAT EVERY GRANITE STATER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE.