Legislative efforts by Brownstein’s Government Relations attorneys helped to secure increased funding for Colorado legal aid.
Due to cuts in public funding and less revenue from interest on lawyer trust accounts that benefit legal aid, Colorado Legal Services has seen a significant reduction in funding over the last several years. This year, Sarah Clark represented Colorado Legal Services before the Colorado General Assembly to lobby for increased funding and a change in the law that would allow more revenue to come from lawyer trust accounts.
Sarah was successful in securing a $500,000 increase in the state legislature’s annual appropriation for the Family Violence Justice Fund, a program that awards grants to Colorado Legal Services and other civil legal service providers who serve impoverished families impacted by domestic violence. This 25 percent increase brings the program’s total funding to just over $2.5 million.
Sarah was also successful in passing legislation that allows undistributable funds in lawyer trust accounts to be directed to the Colorado Lawyer Trust Account Foundation (COLTAF) rather than escheating to the state’s general unclaimed property fund. Colorado Legal Services anticipates that this legislation will result in an additional $100,000 annually for legal aid in Colorado.
Colorado Legal Services is Colorado’s only statewide legal aid program. For more than 85 years, the organization has been providing meaningful access to high-quality, civil legal services to low-income individuals, seniors, and members of other vulnerable populations. For more information, visit www.coloradolegalservices.org.