Responding to a need in the civil legal aid community, the Indiana Supreme Court has acted to rescue a program designed to help Indiana civil legal aid groups recruit and retain qualified attorneys who help low income families. “With the difficult economy more people than ever are depending on pro bono and legal aid societies for help with mortgage foreclosures and many other financial problems,” explained Chief Justice Randall Shepard.  “When the Court learned an important program designed to ensure poor families in our state have access to justice was going to fall victim to the troubled economy, we knew we must act.”

The Indiana Supreme Court is transferring $25,000 to the Indiana Bar Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program for Indiana or LRAP-IN.  The Court will also match new money raised by the Bar Foundation for this purpose up to a total of $175,000.  LRAP-IN was established in 2006 as a statewide assistance program for law school graduates employed at non-profit organizations dedicated to serving the civil legal aid needs of the low-income. 

The goal of LRAP-IN is to allow law school graduates who wish to remain in the civil legal aid field continue their commitment to helping the poor despite their own low-income and often high educational debt.  It also allows civil legal aid organizations to recruit and retain qualified lawyers. 
Money from the Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) funds the program.  IOLTA was established by the Indiana Supreme Court in 1997.  It requires attorneys to put client funds they hold for a short time in an interest earning IOLTA account.  That interest is collected and is primarily used for pro bono legal service programs for the poor. 

Chuck Dunlap, Executive Director of the Indiana Bar Foundation, was disappointed to have to suspend the program in 2009 but explained, “Since our LRAP program was primarily funded from IOLTA dollars, and the historically low interest rate environment has drastically reduced IOLTA revenues, our Foundation had to temporarily suspend awards from our LRAP program.” When Mr. Dunlap informed the Indiana Supreme Court of the suspension, the Court decided to provide the Foundation with the money needed to continue the program.  The funds being transferred to help civil legal aid come from fees paid over a period of years by law graduates who have applied to take the bar examination.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Indiana Supreme Court,” said Mr. Dunlap.  “Students who graduate from a state law school may have $70,000 in educational debt, and it can be more than $100,000 for a degree from a private institution.  The need to repay that money forces some attorneys to leave low-paying non-profit agencies that are critical to our system of justice.  We created LRAP-IN to help those graduates who decided to stay in the civil legal aid field.  We are very grateful to the Indiana Supreme Court for its commitment to the cause by partnering with us to dramatically increase funding for this important program. ”

“The Indiana Supreme Court commends attorneys who are serving the needs of the poor,” said Chief Justice Shepard. “We are pleased to support their efforts and help them repay a small fraction of the educational debt they have likely acquired.  It is important that civil legal aid organizations have qualified passionate attorneys representing the needs of the poor.”

Attorneys who are making less than $50,000 and are working for one of the following agencies qualify for the assistance to help repay their educational loans.

1. Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project
2. Elkhart Legal Aid Society
3. Indiana Legal Services
4. Law School Legal Services (Indianapolis)
5. Law School Legal Services (Bartholomew)
6. Legal Aid (Columbus)
7. Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County
8. Middle Way House (Bloomington)
9. Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic
10. Protective Order Pro Bono Project of Greater Indianapolis
11. Volunteer Lawyer Program of Northwest Indiana
12. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 1 Hobart
13. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 2 South Bend
14. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 3 Fort Wayne
15. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 4 Lafayette
16. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 5 Lafayette
17. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 6 New Castle
18. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 7 Terre Haute
19. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 8 Indianapolis
20. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 9 Richmond
21. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 10 Bloomington
22. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 11 Columbus
23. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 12 Lawrenceburg
24. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 13 Evansville
25. Indiana’s Pro Bono District 14 New Albany

In the hope of attracting private donors who might be willing to contribute towards a permanent fund to support lawyers with high debt levels who work serving low-income people, the Court has offered to match new money raised by the Bar Foundation for this purpose up to a total of $175,000.  This match would likewise come from fees paid by past bar applicants.