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Legal Aid
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Legal aid is an assistance generally provided by legal aid agencies. Legal aid is provided for those who are unable to afford an attorney. An appreciable number of legal aid agencies are providing legal services with nominal cost. In United States, a large number of legal aid agencies are providing legal services to people who are unable to pay lawyer's services.
Sponsors of Legal Aid Agencies
Legal aid agencies are normally the nonprofit organizations that are patronized by charitable organizations, law schools, lawyers' associations, federal, state and local governments.
In the year 1911, the National Alliance of Legal Aid Societies was founded in USA to publicize the concept of legal aid to poor people.
Legal aid activities
Some of the major legal aid activities include civil cases, relating to adoption, bankruptcy, divorce, employment issues, and landlord and tenant disagreement. Criminal cases are normally handled by Public defenders, who are funded by local and state agencies or by federal grants. Legal aid is given in the following areas:
- Criminal law: Victims rights, prisoners' rights
- Children's law and education: Juvenile justice, family law, consumer law, bankruptcy, education rights, cars, credit reports, loans
- Health: health insurance
- Disaster relief: Emergency relief, insurance, family law and domestic violence, marriage, divorce, custody
- Immigration: Immigration and naturalization problems, social security
- Wills and planning: Wills, estates, unemployment benefits, work problems
Some other areas, where legal aid are given include health care, discrimination and tax issues.
Components of legal aid agencies
Legal aid agencies are executed by administrative support staff and attorneys. Law students also play a significant role in providing legal aid to the needy. An appreciable number of private attorneys also offer their services to help these agencies.
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