ENROLLED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 93
BY REPRESENTATIVE FOIL
A RESOLUTION
To recognize Wednesday, May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid Day at the state capitol.
WHEREAS, even though the outcome of civil legal matters often results in life-
altering consequences, indigent citizens have no right to counsel in civil matters; and
WHEREAS, a basic tenet of a just society is the provision of equal access to legal
services, a tenet that is essential to the achievement of fairness in our civil justice system;
and
WHEREAS, a foundation of our legal system is access to legal services, regardless
of a citizen's ability to pay; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's poverty rate is among the nation's highest, and an estimated
230,000 poor Louisiana citizens will need legal services each year; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Acadiana Legal Service Corporation and the Southeast
Louisiana Legal Services Corporation helped 48,867 people to achieve increased access to
safety, employment, and security; and
WHEREAS, the Acadiana Legal Service Corporation and the Southeast Louisiana
Legal Service Corporation provide legal representation in merited civil cases to Louisiana's
poor, thus ensuring that the poor have access to justice in the state's justice system; and
WHEREAS, these organizations help historically disadvantaged constituents with
legal matters, including veterans seeking service benefits, victims of domestic violence
seeking protection against abusers, senior citizens fighting consumer fraud, homeowners
opposing unlawful foreclosure, and parents seeking child support; and
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WHEREAS, Louisiana is one of only four states in the nation in which the state
provides no statewide appropriation nor dedicated statewide fees or fines to support civil
legal aid providers; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders in Louisiana's justice system
to ensure access to legal services; and
WHEREAS, each year, Louisiana attorneys provide hundreds of thousands of hours
in volunteer legal services; and
WHEREAS, a study commissioned by the Louisiana Bar Foundation found that the
total net social return on investment for Louisiana's civil legal aid programs during the 2018
fiscal year was 913%, so for every dollar the state invests in Louisiana's civil legal aid
providers, these programs deliver $9.13 in immediate and long-term financial benefits; and
WHEREAS, investment in civil legal aid benefits families, schools, businesses,
government agencies, and the state as a whole.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Wednesday, May 1, 2019, as Civil Legal Aid
Day at the state capitol and does hereby extend sincere thanks to the personnel who provide
civil legal aid to the citizens of Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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