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In the 1967 War on Poverty, the Office of Economic Opportunity made a grant to the Mecklenburg County Bar and the Charlotte Area Fund to establish the Legal Aid Society of Mecklenburg County to provide civil legal assistance to low-income people. LASMC began operation with three attorneys and two secretaries. From 1967 to 1975 LASMC grew steadily with increased funding.
In 1975, the OEO Legal Services Program was transferred to the newly created federal Legal Services Corporation. Beginning in 1975, LSC expanded funding for local legal services programs to reach every county in the nation. In 1979, LASMC changed its name to Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and expanded to include Cabarrus, Gaston, Stanly and Union Counties.
LSSP’s federal funding declined significantly since that time to about 1/3 of its 1981 level in real dollars. Since 1988, LSSP has broadly diversified its programs and funding, although total funding is still well below 1981 levels.
In 1996, Congress imposed severe restrictions on LSC funded programs. In 2002 LSC funded a single statewide program in North Carolina called Legal Aid of North Carolina. A part of LSSP became the local branch of LANC. LSSP remained as a locally governed non-LSC funded legal services program. Without LSC restrictions, LSSP was able to continue to provide advocacy that is restricted by LSC regulations, including assistance to immigrants through the Immigrant Justice Project and the Family Support and Health Car Project.
In 2002, LSSP received a grant from the Internal Revenue Service to provide tax assistance to low-income individuals and in 2006 LSSP received a grant from United Way to start providing assistance with unemployment claims with the Employment Law Project. LSSP continues to offer consumer protection for clients facing bankruptcy, foreclosure or unfair trade practices or debt collection. In 2007, LSSP expanded the focus of each of our services to the elderly population in Mecklenburg County with the addition of the Legal Services for the Elderly (LSE) program. In addition to the work of LSSP’s other programs, LSSP also now provides wills, advance directives and powers of attorney for clients 60 and older.
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