HELP BRIDGE THE JUSTICE GAP -- PLEASE ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS to INVEST IN CIVIL LEGAL AID BY SUPPORTING LD 564!

Civil legal aid works to protect people from domestic and financial abuse and neglect; to keep people housed; to help them get and keep jobs; to keep custody of a child; to gain access to health care; and much more. In most civil legal aid matters, there is no right to counsel, so Mainers who can't afford a lawyer must face these legal problems without help.

Maine has a strong civil legal aid infrastructure in place - made up of seven core legal aid providers who coordinate closely and make efficient use of their funding. Unfortunately, this system has long been woefully underfunded. Thousands of Mainers have legal needs that go unmet, which has negative consequences for them, for our communities, and for our economy.

Right now, Maine legislators are considering legislation (LD 564) that would help bridge the justice gap in Maine by investing in our state’s civil legal aid services by investing in a direct General Fund appropriation to the Maine Civil Legal Services Fund. We need to build on the progress we made last year to take a step closer to meeting peoples’ legal needs across the state.

Join the Justice Action Group to help us make the case for investing in civil legal aid in Maine. Please take a few minutes to write your representatives to share why you support this investment.

We know that investing more in civil legal aid will:

• move Maine closer to fulfilling the promise of equal justice for ALL;

• result in an influx of millions of dollars into Maine’s economy, bring tangible cost savings to our state, and stimulate our local economy; and

• make the court system work better and more efficiently.

Maine lawmakers need to hear from us! Thank you for sending a letter to YOUR legislators! When they hear from you, they know an issue matters!

Need more information? Learn more here about legislation to invest in civil legal aid!