Financial Literacy and 

Education Commission

White House Legal Aid 

Interagency Roundtable

www.justice.gov/lair

June 29, 2016

Karen Lash, Executive Director, White House Legal Aid 

Interagency Roundtable; Deputy Director, Office for Access to 

Justice, DOJ

Monica Vaca, Assistant Director, Division of Marketing 

Practices, FTC

Mary Griffith, Senior Advisor, Office of Financial 

Empowerment, CFPB 

Michael Froehlich, Managing Attorney, Homeownership & 

Consumer Rights Unit, Community Legal Services
 Conceived of and staffed by DOJ Office for Access to 

Justice (DOJ ATJ) since 2012

 Co-chaired by White House Domestic Policy Council & DOJ 

 Originally 18 federal partners

 Big Idea: 

Many of our federal priorities, programs and policies 

that help low- and moderate-income and other 

vulnerable populations are more effective when they 

include civil legal aid. 

 How? 

 Increase resources 

 Increase collaboration

 Remove barriers

 Increase research

LEGAL AID INTERAGENCY ROUNDTABLE 

BACKGROUND

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PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM –

ESTABLISHES WHITE HOUSE LAIR 

HTTPS://WWW.JUSTICE.GOV/LAIR

 Signed September 24, 2015

 21 Agencies 

Section 4: 

(a)The LAIR shall work across executive departments, 

agencies, and offices to:

(i) improve coordination among Federal programs that 

help the vulnerable and underserved, so that those 

programs are more efficient and produce better 

outcomes by including, where appropriate, legal 

services among the range of supportive services 

provided;
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Most low-income people – and the 

social service providers they work with 

– do not identify a wide-range of 

problems as having a possible legal 

solution

1. Low Public Awareness of Legal Aid 

2. Economic Benefits of Investing in Legal Aid 

By Helping People 

Participate in Federal 

Safety-Net Programs

By Protecting 

Patients’ Health

By Reducing Evictions By Helping Children 

Leave Foster Care 

More Quickly

Civil Legal Aid 

Produces 

Economic 

Benefits

By Reducing 

Domestic Violence
 Healthcare –access to medical and 

mental health benefits.

 Government benefits – SCHIP, TANF, 

SSI, SNAP, Home Energy Assistance, 

and Earned Income Tax Credit.

 Housing –unsafe housing conditions, 

discrimination, unlawful eviction, 

foreclosure, loss or denial of 

subsidized housing benefits, and access 

to public utilities.

 Employment –fair hiring and firing 

practices, proper payment for work 

performed, unemployment benefits, 

reasonable accommodations for people 

with disabilities, working conditions, 

and help securing drivers and 

professional licenses.

 Family Law – custody, support, 

visitation, adoption, guardianship, 

and divorce.

 Individual Safety –domestic or 

dating violence, stalking or other 

harassment, elder abuse, and child 

abuse and neglect.

 Education – accommodations for 

children with special needs, ensuring 

education rights of homeless and 

migrant children, and school 

discipline matters.

 Veterans’ Services – veterans’ and 

disability benefits.

 Consumer Protection – consumer 

fraud and scams, predatory lending, 

unfair debt collection practices and 

credit problems.

WHAT IS LEGAL AID?

Legal Aid is free legal assistance to 

low & moderate income people 

who have civil legal problems.

Civil legal matters are non-criminal 

legal matters, and include all of the 

problems on this slide. 

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WHAT ARE LEGAL AID SERVICES?

• Direct Services

• Full representation

• “Brief services” and advice

• Identifying and Addressing Systemic Issues

• Helping to identify solutions to problems 

common to large numbers of people

• Community Education and Outreach

• Know Your Rights materials and Self-help 

assistance

• Trainings and Clinics so individuals can better 

determine eligibility for benefits 

MOST LEGAL AID PROVIDERS LEVERAGE ALL THESE SERVICES WITH: 

 “Pro Bono” volunteers: Private firm attorneys and paralegals, and law 

students and law school pro bono programs; and 

 Online Technologies: Document assembly & legal information websites
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TOOLKIT 

CASE STUDY:

https://www.justice.gov/lair/wh-lair-case-studies