Photo Credit: Jeff Thiebauth
Top: Attendees at the 25th Annual Walk to the Hill.
Middle: MBA President Damian J. Turco speaks during the Walk to the Hill.
Bottom: From left: MBA Vice President Michael H. Hayden, MBA Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Operating Officer Martin W. Healy, Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Executive Director Lynne Parker, Boston Bar Association President Hannah L. Kilson, MBA President Damian J. Turco and Equal Justice Coalition Chair Louis W. Tompros.
On Thursday, Jan. 25, the Massachusetts Bar Association co-sponsored the 25th Annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid to rally state support for legal services in the FY25 budget. Click here to see photos from the event, which was attended by more than 600 members of the legal community in its return to the State House for the first time since 2020.
Featured speakers included MBA President Damian J. Turco, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell, Equal Justice Coalition Chair Louis W. Tompros, Boston Bar Association President Hannah L. Kilson and Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) Executive Director Lynne Parker. Advocates stressed that civil legal aid represents both a critical lifeline for low-income residents and a wise investment in access to justice for the commonwealth.
Following the speaking portion of the program, attendees met with their legislators to request that they support MLAC’s request for $55 million in funding for FY25.
If you were unable to join us at the State House, we encourage you to call your state legislators to convey your support for adequate funding for legal aid.
Click here for a fact sheet on legal aid funding. To find out who your legislators are,
click here.
Despite recent funding increases in civil legal aid, provider organizations in the commonwealth can only serve about 50% of income-eligible applicants for representation. As the demand for legal aid continues to grow, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding of MLAC's budget request will allow more people to stay in their homes, maintain their livelihoods, and avoid financial and personal hardship.
Sample Phone Script
Hi, my name is ______ and I live at ______. I am a constituent of Senator/Representative ______ and an attorney at ______. Is Senator/Representative available? Is there someone in your office I can talk to about legal assistance funding?
(Reintroduce yourself to the staffer.)
I am calling today to ask for the Senator/Representative's support for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation's $55 million budget request for FY25 in line item 0321-1600. Civil legal aid provides vital support for low-income people facing critical legal issues, including housing, domestic violence, employment, health care and more.
Half of eligible people in Massachusetts who seek civil legal aid services are turned away due to lack of funding. Turning people away not only places many individuals and families into crisis, it also costs the state money by pushing people into emergency services. By supporting funding for civil legal aid, Massachusetts can help our most vulnerable residents stay in their homes, find safety from abuse, and avoid other difficult and costly hardships. Funding for civil legal aid is also a sound economic investment.
I would appreciate it if Senator/Representative ______ would get back to me on this important issue. My address is______, my phone is ______, and my email is ______.