Report to the
Governor and
General Court
FY24
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 1
Introduction
In FY24, Massachusetts legal aid organizations proved once again that they transform lives and
communities every day with their work expanding access to justice. MLAC is proud to fund 16
of our state’s exemplary legal services providers, and we are grateful for the opportunity to provide
an update on their progress with this report.
More than 80,000 people benefitted from legal aid in FY24, hailing from cities and towns all across
the Commonwealth. Legal aid organizations not only removed barriers to basic needs through the
justice system, but they helped people and families empower themselves with knowledge, information,
and resources to self-advocate and achieve long-lasting stability.
In its FY24 budget, the Massachusetts State Legislature appropriated $49 million for civil legal aid,
through MLAC’s line item 0321-1600. MLAC distributed that funding to 16 statewide and regional legal
aid organizations through our grant-funding process. MLAC also received money from Interest
on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funds, as well as from government grants and private foundations.
Altogether, in FY24, MLAC distributed $70,456,031 to organizations across Massachusetts that
provide civil legal aid to people with low incomes.
For the parents of a child with disabilities, legal aid secured adequate support and accommodations
for their child at school; for a senior living on a fixed income, legal aid assisted in obtaining a housing
voucher for an accessible unit and connecting to reliable, affordable medical care; for a working mother
struggling to make ends meet, legal aid helped her to receive much-needed support from government
assistance programs so she could put food on the table for her family each night.
These and many more success stories are encapsulated in the numbers presented here. The data and
measures in this report illustrate the power of a strong statewide network of civil legal aid programs—
and the effects of investment in civil legal aid. Thank you for supporting this important work in FY24.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 2
Contents
MLAC Basics and Background................................................................................................ 3
Cases and Clients: FY24 ......................................................................................................... 4
Legal Aid Organizations MLAC Funds................................................................................... 7
Specialized Funding................................................................................................................ 9
Strengthening the Legal Aid Network.................................................................................. 12
Client Stories........................................................................................................................... 14
Activities and Changes in Net Assets.................................................................................... 15
FY24 Expenses........................................................................................................................ 16
MLAC Fiscal Year 2024 Grants: $70,456,031 ....................................................................... 17
MLAC Board and Staff ........................................................................................................... 21
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 3
MLAC Basics and Background
The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation is the largest funding source for civil legal aid in
the Commonwealth. MLAC was established by the Commonwealth in 1983 to ensure that people
with low incomes facing critical, non-criminal legal problems would have access to legal information,
advice, and representation.
MLAC’s mission is to provide leadership and support to improve civil legal services to people with
low incomes in Massachusetts through collaboration with the legal services community, the public,
the bar, and the legislature.
MLAC receives funding from a variety of sources, primarily the state budget and Interest on
Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funds, and disburses it to qualified civil legal aid organizations across
the Commonwealth.
In FY24, MLAC received revenue from several sources:
• A state appropriation of $49 million
• IOLTA program and related funds of more than $23 million
• Grants and other revenue totaling nearly $9 million
MLAC awarded a total of $70,456,031
In addition to funding, MLAC also provides these organizations with support in communications;
data and research; diversity, equity, and inclusion; information technology; and program monitoring
and evaluation. Detailed financial information, descriptions of the organizations funded, and MLAC’s sup-
port services to legal aid organizations appear in the following pages.
About Civil Legal Aid
Civil legal aid organizations provide free information, advice, and representation to people with low
incomes who otherwise would not receive help with serious legal issues related to housing, health care,
immigration, employment, education, family law and domestic violence, disability, consumer benefits,
elder issues and more. To be eligible for MLAC-funded legal services in FY24, a household needed to have an
annual income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level; in 2024, that equated to $18,825 for an
individual and $39,000 for a family of four.
Although the U.S. Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution guarantee most criminal
defendants a right to counsel, most people in civil cases do not have that right. That’s true even though
the consequences of civil cases can be severe: people can lose their homes, health, safety, family, and
financial stability—without ever having spoken to a lawyer.
Civil legal aid seeks to ensure that all residents of Massachusetts have access to a lawyer and equal
access to justice.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 4
Cases and Clients: FY24
Total cases handled by MLAC-funded organizations: 36,839
These cases benefited: 81,546 people.
Cases handled by the Disability Benefits Project: 928
These cases secure federal SSI/SSDI benefits for older residents and those with long-term disabilities.
Cases handled by the Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project: 1,303
These cases address physical safety, child custody and support, and health care coverage.
Cases handled by the Medicare Advocacy Project: 185
These cases assist seniors and people with disabilities.
Case Types
CASES CLOSED FY24
34% Housing
24% Individual Rights
10% Income Maintenance
9% Family
7% Education
5% Consumer
4% Employment
4% Miscellaneous
2% Health
1% Juvenile
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 5
Client Demographics
Race/Ethnicity
CASES CLOSED FY24
31% Hispanic
29% Black—Not of Hispanic Origin
27% White—Not of Hispanic Origin
7% Asian or Pacific Islander
6% Other
<1% Native American
Age Range
CASES CLOSED FY24
71% 18–59
20% 60 and over
9% Under 18
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 6
Serving all of Massachusetts
of Massachusetts cities and towns had at least one person with a case handled by a civil
94% legal aid organization
of Massachusetts cities and towns had at least 10 people with a case handled by a civil
75%
legal aid organization
The few towns that did not have a single person helped by civil legal aid in FY24 are among the least populous
in Massachusetts.
Legal Aid Staff
408 Attorneys
117 Paralegals
These numbers represent full-time equivalents (FTEs).
Pro Bono Attorneys
2,092 pro bono attorneys collectively accepted 2,259 cases through legal aid organizations on behalf
of residents with low incomes, providing 39,350 hours of pro bono work worth $10,607,756.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 7
Legal Aid Organizations MLAC Funds
MLAC uses state-appropriated funds (under line item 0321-1600) to support two different types of civil
legal aid organizations: regional and statewide.
REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Regional organizations help people from a particular geographic area resolve a variety of civil legal
problems related to housing, health care, unemployment insurance, public benefits, immigration,
domestic violence, and other serious issues.
• Community Legal Aid, with offices in Worcester, Northampton, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Fitchburg,
serves Central and Western Massachusetts.
• De Novo Center for Justice and Healing, based in Cambridge, serves Boston, Cambridge, and
interior suburbs of Boston.
• Greater Boston Legal Services, with offices in Boston and Cambridge, serves the Greater Boston area.
• MetroWest Legal Services, based in Framingham, serves the MetroWest region.
• Northeast Legal Aid, with offices in Lawrence, Lowell, and Lynn, serves Essex and Northern
Middlesex Counties.
• South Coastal Counties Legal Services, with offices in New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, and
Hyannis, serves Cape Cod, the Islands, and Southeastern Massachusetts.
Community Legal Aid
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
Greater Boston Legal Services
MetroWest Legal Services
Northeast Legal Aid
South Coastal Counties Legal Services
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 8
STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS
Statewide organizations specialize in specific subjects or types of law and serve people across the
Commonwealth. They also provide support to regional organizations.
• Center for Law and Education provides expertise on education-related cases.
• Center for Public Representation is dedicated to enforcing and expanding the rights of
people with disabilities and others who are in segregated settings.
• Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts advocates for the rights of young people
across Massachusetts.
• Disability Law Center is the Protection and Advocacy agency for Massachusetts, protecting the
rights of people with disabilities.
• Massachusetts Advocates for Children represents children, students, and youth who face
significant barriers because of their economic status, disability, race, ethnicity/culture, immigration
status, language, and/or traumatic life experiences.
• Massachusetts Law Reform Institute provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing
laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for people with low incomes
and their communities.
• National Consumer Law Center advises on a variety of consumer law issues, including student
loans, debt collection, disaster protection, mortgages, and consumer protection.
• Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project provides legal services to
asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants.
• Prisoners’ Legal Services protects the health and civil rights of people who are incarcerated
in Massachusetts.
• Veterans Legal Services promotes the self-sufficiency, stability, and financial security of veterans
with low incomes and those who are unhoused.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 9
Specialized Funding for Immigrants, Victims
of Crime, and Other Vulnerable Populations
Massachusetts Immigration Legal Assistance Fund
In 2019, with funding from an anonymous donor, MLAC created the Massachusetts Immigration Legal
Assistance Fund (MILAF) to respond to persistent unmet legal needs among vulnerable immigrant
and refugee populations in the Commonwealth. MILAF provides funding to organizations that work to
fill the gaps within services to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. MILAF’s aim is to protect
the rights of vulnerable immigrants so they can pursue a stable future. The fund has awarded more than
$3.3 million, including $625,000 to twelve organizations in FY24, providing direct legal services,
community education, and systemic advocacy that benefit large groups of immigrants.
Organizations that received MILAF funds:
Community Legal Aid
Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
Greater Boston Legal Services
Health Law Advocates
Justice at Work
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Northeast Legal Aid
PAIR Project
Prisoners’ Legal Services
Rian Immigrant Center
South Coastal Counties Legal Services
Afghan Refugee Project
In 2022, three philanthropic partners provided funding for MLAC to create a program to assist Afghan
refugees in filing and completing their legal status applications and resolutions in the Greater Boston
area. Additional support was received from two resettlement agencies to fund five dedicated attorneys
for this project.
Organizations that received Afghan Refugee Project funds:
Greater Boston Legal Services
MetroWest Legal Services
PAIR Project
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 10
Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime
The Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime (CLAVC) initiative helps victims of crime throughout
Massachusetts with their related civil legal problems — including family law, housing, immigration,
disability rights, child welfare, education, consumer issues, identity theft, employment rights, and
public benefits.
Crime victims often experience difficult legal problems that cannot be addressed in the criminal law
system. For example, a victim of an assault may be unable to work, leading to financial distress, including
an eviction and debt collection problems. Or, a survivor of domestic violence may need legal help to
get a divorce and child support. Jane Doe, Inc. and the National Consumer Law Center provide training
and support. MLAC and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute also provide training, support, and
overall CLAVC project coordination.
In FY24, the initiative awarded more than $3.2 million to ten civil legal aid organizations which provide
direct legal services to victims of crime.
Organizations that received CLAVC funds:
Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts
Community Legal Aid
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
Disability Law Center
Greater Boston Legal Services
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
MetroWest Legal Services
Northeast Legal Aid
South Coastal Counties Legal Services
Victim Rights Law Center
Massachusetts Legal Assistance Project
The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) received $5 million in funding through budget
line item 0321-1620 of the Acts of 2021 Chapter 102 for the administration of legal services for three
legal services projects: The Medical Legal Partnerships Project (MLP), the High-Quality Education for
All Project (EDU), and the Family Preservation Project (FPP). Together, these constitute the
Massachusetts Legal Assistance Project (MLAP) grant.
MLAC is overseeing the grant through contracts with ten legal aid organizations.
The MLP provides people with low incomes access to legal assistance in a health care setting. The project
addresses health-harming legal needs, promotes health equity, and improves overall health outcomes
by allying health care providers and attorneys. The EDU works to dismantle barriers to fair, equitable, and
high-quality education for students from families with low incomes. The FPP is providing legal assistance
and related support services to families at the early stages of involvement with the Department of
Children and Families with the goal of keeping families intact.
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 11
Organizations that received MLAP funds:
Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts
Community Legal Aid
Center for Law and Education
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
Greater Boston Legal Services
Massachusetts Advocates for Children
MetroWest Legal Services
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Northeast Legal Aid
South Coastal Counties Legal Services
MASSACHUSETTS LEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 12
Strengthening the Legal Aid Network
The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation strengthens legal aid in the Commonwealth by
providing support in several key areas.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
MLAC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team improves services to clients with low incomes by building
cultural competence, addressing diversity-related issues, and promoting equity within MLAC and
the civil legal aid organizations it funds. Through education and training, improved hiring practices,
statewide events, and collaboration, this initiative spurs legal aid organizations to reflect the diversity
of their clients and exemplify our shared values of justice and fairness. The Statewide Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion Council is led by MLAC’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and consists of staff
representatives from legal aid organizations across the Commonwealth. It encourages transparency
and communication between ML