HLS 19RS-1877 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 93
BY REPRESENTATIVE FOIL
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Recognizes May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid Day at the
state capitol
1 A RESOLUTION
2To recognize Wednesday, May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid Day at the state capitol.
3 WHEREAS, even though the outcome of civil legal matters often results in life-
4altering consequences, indigent citizens have no right to counsel in civil matters; and
5 WHEREAS, a basic tenet of a just society is the provision of equal access to legal
6services, a tenet that is essential to the achievement of fairness in our civil justice system;
7and
8 WHEREAS, a foundation of our legal system is access to legal services, regardless
9of a citizen's ability to pay; and
10 WHEREAS, Louisiana's poverty rate is among the nation's highest, and an estimated
11230,000 poor Louisiana citizens will need legal services each year; and
12 WHEREAS, in 2018, the Acadiana Legal Service Corporation and the Southeast
13Louisiana Legal Services Corporation helped 48,867 people to achieve increased access to
14safety, employment, and security; and
15 WHEREAS, the Acadiana Legal Service Corporation and the Southeast Louisiana
16Legal Service Corporation provide legal representation in merited civil cases to Louisiana's
17poor, thus ensuring that the poor have access to justice in the state's justice system; and
18 WHEREAS, these organizations help historically disadvantaged constituents with
19legal matters, including veterans seeking service benefits, victims of domestic violence
20seeking protection against abusers, senior citizens fighting consumer fraud, homeowners
21opposing unlawful foreclosure, and parents seeking child support; and
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HR NO. 93
1 WHEREAS, Louisiana is one of only four states in the nation in which the state
2provides no statewide appropriation nor dedicated statewide fees or fines to support civil
3legal aid providers; and
4 WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders in Louisiana's justice system
5to ensure access to legal services; and
6 WHEREAS, each year, Louisiana attorneys provide hundreds of thousands of hours
7in volunteer legal services; and
8 WHEREAS, a study commissioned by the Louisiana Bar Foundation found that the
9total net social return on investment for Louisiana's civil legal aid programs during the 2018
10fiscal year was 913%, so for every dollar the state invests in Louisiana's civil legal aid
11providers, these programs deliver $9.13 in immediate and long-term financial benefits; and
12 WHEREAS, investment in civil legal aid benefits families, schools, businesses,
13government agencies, and the state as a whole.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
15Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Wednesday, May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid
16Day at the state capitol and does hereby extend sincere thanks to the personnel who provide
17civil legal aid to the citizens of Louisiana.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 93 Original 2019 Regular Session Foil
Designates May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid Day at the state capitol.
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