Des Moines, June 6, 2012–The Iowa Supreme Court has approved more than $231,000 in grants to non-profit programs that provide legal assistance to low-income Iowans with civil legal problems. The court awarded grants to fourteen different organizations throughout Iowa. The grants are funded by the Interest on Lawyers' Trust Account (IOLTA) program. The IOLTA program is funded without state appropriations and at no cost to lawyers or their clients. With this year's grants, the Supreme Court has awarded over $23 million in IOLTA grants since the program began on July 1, 1985.

"In the civil justice system, low income Iowans with legal matters such as divorce, domestic abuse or unsafe housing are not guaranteed an attorney and often are unable to afford one," Chief Justice Mark Cady said. "This year's IOLTA grant recipients help to bridge that gap and increase access to justice for those Iowans and help to improve our justice system."

IOLTA grant funds are generated entirely from interest earned on certain pooled trust accounts held by Iowa lawyers. Lawyers practicing in Iowa are required by court order to deposit clients' funds the lawyers hold in interest-bearing accounts. When the funds involved are so small in amount or held for such a brief period of time that it is not possible for the funds to generate sufficient interest to economically benefit the individual client, court rules require that they be deposited in pooled interest-bearing trust accounts.

The IOLTA program is managed by a seven-member commission that reviews grant applications and then makes award recommendations to the supreme court. In the 26-year history of the IOLTA program, most of the grant awards have supported organizations that assist low-income Iowans with civil legal problems. Law-related education projects have also received grants. IOLTA grants do not support criminal legal defense.

The supreme court awarded the following grants for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012, and ending June 30, 2013:

Iowa Legal Aid (Des Moines)–$102,900.00

For legal staff to serve regional offices of the grantee in an established program of civil case assistance to low-income Iowans. (Service area: statewide.)

HELP Through Education and Law Program, Inc. (Davenport)–$14,980.00

For legal staff to offer civil legal assistance to indigent and elderly persons, particularly in the areas of domestic relations, community legal education, service to the institutionalized elderly and domestic abuse, and administrative advocacy. (Service area: Scott and Clinton counties.)

Muscatine Legal Services–$5,000.00

For additional legal staff to maintain an existing program of civil legal assistance to low-income residents. (Service area: Muscatine County.)

Legal Aid Society of Story County (Nevada)–$7,000.00

For legal staff support to offset demand for legal assistance for low-income persons. (Service area: Story County.)

Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (Des Moines)–$26,180.00

For staff for volunteer lawyer referral service in Polk County serving the low-income community. (Service area: Polk County.)

Sioux County Low Fee Panel, Sioux County Bar Association (Sioux Center) –$1,575.00

For funds to provide civil legal assistance for economically disadvantaged individuals in the Sioux County area. (Service area: Sioux County.)

Iowa State Bar Association Public Service Project (Des Moines)–$26,530.00

For staff and technical support to increase the participation of attorneys in existing volunteer lawyer projects for indigent Iowans and provide assistance to legal service agencies. (Service area: statewide.)

Civil Legal Assistance Fund (Mason City)–$5,000.00

For funds to provide civil legal assistance to low-income fathers, mothers, or children involved in dissolution of marriage or modification cases in which other legal assistance is not available. (Service area: Second Judicial District.)

Know Your Constitution Committee of the Young Lawyers Division, Iowa State

Bar Association (Des Moines)–$2,565.00

For funds for the Know Your Constitution Program, to provide education to Iowa high school students about the United States Constitution. (Service area: statewide.)

Clinical Law Program, Drake University Law School Legal Clinic (Des Moines)–$7,280.00

For funds to continue the Poverty Law Internship Program, a clinical law program in which upper level law students intern with legal service providers throughout the state. (Service area: statewide.)

Iowa Legal Aid (Des Moines)–$17,500.00

For legal staff support to continue the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans.

(Service area: statewide.)

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Des Moines) –$4,400.00

For funds to support law-related education and attorney training specific to the issues of sexual assault on Iowa youth. (Service area: statewide.)

Iowa Justice For Our Neighbors (Des Moines)–$5,000.00

For funds to provide legal services to low-income immigrants involved in removal proceedings or other immigration-law matters. (Service area: statewide.)

Kids First Law Center (Cedar Rapids)–$2,650.00

For funds to provide legal services to children in high-conflict divorce and custody cases when their parents cannot afford counsel for them. (Service area: Linn and Johnson counties.)

Centerville Community Betterment (Centerville)–$2,500.00

For funds to provide civil legal assistance for economically disadvantaged individuals. (Service area: Appanoose and Monroe counties.)

For further information contact:

Paul H. Wieck II, Director

Office of Professional Regulation

Judicial Branch Building

1111 East Court Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50319

Telephone: (515) 725-8029

Lyons, NE - Today, the Center for Rural Affairs joined more than 185 leaders and rural organizations from across the nation in signing and sending a letter sent to every U.S. Senator expressing support for Federal investment in rural development in the Farm Bill currently being debated on the floor of the Senate.

The letter states that one of the proven job-creating titles of the farm bill is the Rural Development title, which authorizes essential grants and loan programs targeted at leveraging local initiatives to spur growth and opportunity in small towns and rural areas.

"If passed as it now stands, this will be the first farm bill in decades to provide no funding for small town and rural development..." Chuck Hassebrook, Center for Rural Affairs

"If passed as it now stands, this will be the first farm bill in decades to provide no funding for small town and rural development. Rural development has already been cut by one-third since 2003, mostly by the annual appropriations process through which Congress divides up the budget," said Chuck Hassebrook of the Center for Rural Affairs. "But passing a farm bill with no funding for job creating and community building rural development programs deepens that cut."

The Center for Rural Affairs and other signatories on the letter urged Senators to correct this deficiency by providing robust funding for the following successful Rural Development programs: Value-Added Producer Grants, Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, Rural Energy Savings Program, and Rural Water and Wastewater Treatment Backlog.

"This letter demonstrates strong support for programs that create jobs and assist beginning farmers, small businesses and small towns across rural America," added Hassebrook.

The signatories also urged investment in the future of American agriculture. Specifically, the letter noted that, "The average age of an American agricultural producer today is 57, and if we let current trends go unchecked, that number will only increase.  Providing training and technical assistance to the next generation of farmers can help buck the trend and ensure future food security."

However, according to the letter, the Farm Bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee falls far short of maintaining current investment in the training tools that new and diverse farmers need to succeed.

"And that is why we are urging Senators to provide robust mandatory funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and Outreach for Socially Disadvantaged and Minority Producers (Section 2501 program)," Hassebrook explained.

The complete letter, including signatories is available here: http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Support-Letter-Brown-Amendment.pdf