25% below IOLA\u2019s requested level<\/a>.\u00a0This gap that would have resulted in service cutbacks for organizations seeking grants from IOLA during the current bidding cycle. Speakers stated that separating IOLA spending authority from appropriations would preclude funding gaps and mid-cycle disruptions.<\/p>\n\u201cI firmly believe that justice cannot depend on the size of a bank account nor be a privilege reserved for those who can afford a lawyer; it must be a real and accessible right for everyone. Programs like IOLA are essential to ensure that low-income individuals have legal representation when they need it most. When the budget threatened to weaken IOLA this year, it threatened the stability of our communities. The\u00a0initial\u00a0budget proposal cut its spending authority, which would have meant fewer lawyers, fewer services, and more Bronx residents facing the system alone. Thanks to strong advocacy and my colleagues in the legislature, the one house budget proposes the restoration of the full funds, 102.5 million dollars, and the Senate has proposed an\u00a0additional\u00a050 million dollars to strengthen civil legal services statewide. Our work is not done. Now more than ever, we must guarantee the full spending authority of this fund, because behind every number are families who kept their homes, workers who recovered their wages, and communities that found protection and legal guidance. I stand with Bronxites and with every New Yorker who\u00a0depend\u00a0on these services. Defending IOLA is defending justice and the dignity of all New Yorkers,\u201d said\u00a0Senator Luis R. Sep\u00falveda.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe principle at stake here is simple: access to justice should not depend on a person\u2019s income. The IOLA Fund exists by statute to support civil legal services and uphold the rule of law for New Yorkers who would otherwise be shut out of our legal system. Ensuring that these funds are fully available and used for their intended purpose is a matter of legal integrity and fundamental fairness,\u201d said\u00a0Assemblymember Charles Lavine.<\/p>\n
\u201cCivil legal services are a lifeline for communities facing mounting threats from the Trump administration. The IOLA Fund is critical to sustaining this work: for immigrants in the crosshairs of ICE, for transgender New Yorkers afraid for their safety, and for workers abandoned by a hollowed-out Labor Department.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why we must restore full IOLA spending authority this budget cycle and ensure stable funding in perpetuity, so that these services are always available to support the most vulnerable among us,\u201d said\u00a0Assemblymember Michaelle Solages.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor tenants across our state, the growing affordability crisis has made access to legal representation more important than ever,\u201d said\u00a0Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. \u201cThe Interest on Lawyer Account Fund ensures that low income New Yorkers can access the civil legal services that help keep families in their homes, prevent unlawful evictions, and ensure that tenants can assert their rights in an increasingly tight housing market. By fully funding IOLA and ensuring its long-term stability, we will provide much-needed support and stability to the most vulnerable New Yorkers at a time when they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event also highlighted the unique partnership between\u00a0the nonprofit civil legal services sector and the private bar, which work together through the IOLA Fund to ensure access to justice for communities across New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor nearly 50 years, IOLA has reflected a fundamental principle: the legal profession\u2019s independence and its commitment to ensuring access to justice for those who cannot afford representation. IOLA funds are not\u00a0taxpayer dollars; they are interest generated from attorney escrow accounts and dedicated to supporting civil legal\u00a0services for\u00a0vulnerable New Yorkers. Civil legal aid organizations across the state built their staffing and services around the promise of stable IOLA funding. A $25 million shortfall would force damaging cuts. The New York City Bar Association urges Governor Hochul to join the Legislature in restoring full IOLA spending authority for FY2027 and reaffirming respect for the private bar\u2019s role in sustaining access to justice,\u201d said\u00a0Muhammad U. Faridi, President of the New York City Bar Association.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Interest on Lawyer Account Fund exists for one purpose: to ensure that New Yorkers who cannot afford a lawyer still have access to justice when it matters most. These are not taxpayer dollars\u2014they are funds generated within the legal system and dedicated by law to civil legal services. By insulating IOLA from the annual budget process, this legislation will provide the stability legal services providers need to help families avoid eviction, protect survivors of domestic violence, and navigate complex immigration proceedings. A fair justice system requires that people have meaningful access to legal help, and today\u2019s proposal helps ensure that promise\u00a0remains\u00a0real for all New Yorkers,\u201d said Taa Grays, Incoming President of the New York State Bar Association.<\/p>\n
Finally, two New York City residents who benefited from IOLA-funded civil legal services shared their stories. Donna Akumboah received services from Immigration Law & Justice New York, which helped her and her parents navigate the immigration system and secure legal status. Brenda Quinn\u00a0received services from LSNYC that helped her and her husband achieve housing stability in their rent-stabilized apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a first-generation immigrant, my family and I have been able to live the American Dream. But my story would not be possible without civil legal services supported by IOLA. They helped my family and me navigate a confusing immigration system and secure our status. Today, as an attorney, I\u00a0give\u00a0back by volunteering as an immigration lawyer. And I am so proud to advocate for greater access to these services in New York, which still shines as a beacon for immigrants all around the world,\u201d said\u00a0Donna\u00a0Akuamoah, Board Member of Immigration Law & Justice\u00a0New York\u00a0and beneficiary of IOLA-funded civil legal services.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I were on the wrong side of a predatory landlord who overcharged us and then moved to evict us from our rent-stabilized apartment. I do not exaggerate when I say we would be homeless without services backed by IOLA. That legal representation gave us a fighting\u00a0chance, and\u00a0helped us achieve housing stability. I hope these services\u00a0remain\u00a0accessible for people like us, who just want to live in peace and dignity in our homes,\u201d said\u00a0Brenda Quinn,\u00a0a beneficiary of IOLA-funded civil legal services.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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