Legal Services Corporation Act Amendments

Summary

Legal Services Corporation Act Amendments - Amends the Legal Services Corporation Act to require that at least three persons appointed to fill vacancies occurring between January 1, 1977, and July 30, 1978, on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation be person eligible to be clients thereunder. Requires that at least one-third of the governing body of an organization formed solely for the purpose of providing legal assistance under such Act be composed of eligible clients. Subjects meetings of the Board of Directors, of executive committees thereof, and of any advisory council established under the Legal Services Corporation Act to Government in the Sunshine Act provisions relative to open meetings. Empowers the Corporation to undertake research and assistance activities with respect to the delivery of legal services by means of contract or grant. Directs that a court provide compensation for an attorney employed by a recipient organization and appointed to provide legal assistance, unless such appointment is made pursuant to a statute or practice applied generally to attorneys practicing before the court. Repeals restrictions on political activities unrelated to legal assistance with respect to attorneys receiving more than one-half their professional income from an organization established for the sole purpose of providing assistance under the Legal Services Corporation Act. Revises guidelines regarding eligibility for, and priorities relative to, such assistance. Revises the limitations on the use of funds made available by the Corporation to (1) permit the provision of legal assistance with respect to criminal matters where a person is charged with an offense involving hunting, fishing, trapping, or gathering fruit of the land, a defense asserted involves rights arising from an Indian treaty, or a person is charged with a misdemeanor or lesser offense in an Indian tribal court; (2) eliminate prohibitions against providing legal assistance to un-emancipated persons less than 18 years of age and in connection with selective service violations, and (3) revise prohibitions relative to formation of associations and military offenses. Authorizes the Corporation to make grants or enter into contracts to pay all or part of the cost of developing and/or operating model projects to expand or improve the delivery of legal services to segments of the population of eligible clients with special legal problems or special difficulties of access to legal services. Authorizes the appointment of independent hearing examiners to preside over hearings to suspend or terminate assistance under the Legal Services Corporation Act.

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Documents

2 official files

• Indefinitely postponed in Senate

  summary · EN · 12 October 1977

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 19 April 1977

  Open at official source

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