November 25, 2025 - A new impact brief from the State Bar of California’s Office of Access & Inclusion warns that budget cuts could 
undermine California’s legal aid infrastructure, threatening access to justice for millions of low- and middle-income residents.
The brief, At a Precipice: How Funding Cuts Threaten Justice for Millions in California, outlines the devastating consequences of declining federal support for civil legal aid, including reductions across multiple agencies that fund housing stability, immigration services, protections for survivors of violence, and assistance for rural and underserved communities.
Key findings
- $187 million in federal legal aid funding for civil legal aid in California is at risk. This includes $55.7 million annually from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the nation’s largest civil legal aid funder. LSC dollars support 11 legal aid organizations across nearly all 58 counties, serving approximately 168,000 Californians each year. In 2024, these organizations closed over 71,000 cases, nearly half of which were housing related.
- Legal aid is highly cost-effective. Every $1 invested in legal aid yields at least $7 in economic return, reducing the strain on courts, health systems, and social safety net programs.
- Between 2019 and 2024, California’s Homelessness Prevention (HP) grants stabilized housing for 191,727 people by preventing over 14,500 evictions, recovering $37 million for clients, and saving $31 million in waived rent and reduced debt. No new HP state funds are approved for 2025, and while some organizations may continue drawing down remaining HP dollars, those funds will soon be exhausted, putting these services at risk.
“The data in this brief underscores just how essential legal aid is to the well-being of Californians and the stability of our communities,” said Executive Director Laura Enderton-Speed. “From preventing evictions and protecting survivors of violence to supporting immigrant families and addressing attorney shortages in rural areas, legal aid organizations are on the front lines of justice. The findings show that when legal aid is funded, the return on investment is significant—not just economically but in lives stabilized and rights protected.”
Communities most at risk
- Seniors, veterans, and survivors of violence: These groups rely on legal aid for safety, stability, and protection. In many regions already considered legal deserts, legal aid is often the only available safety net.
- Immigrant families: Only 2 percent of California attorneys practice immigration law, even as demand has surged due to stricter federal enforcement and anti-immigrant policies. Between 2020 and 2024, legal aid organizations prevented 5,693 deportations, obtained 8,773 employment authorizations, and secured legal status in 6,559 cases. From 2023 to 2024 alone, immigration services increased 117 percent, and the number of people served grew by 64 percent. Even with recent state investments in immigration legal services, such as the additional $25 million allocated in the 2025 Budget Act, resources fall far short of rising need.
- Rural and inland communities: Roughly 35 percent of the state is at risk of becoming a legal desert. As of 2025, 16 of California’s 58 counties qualify as legal deserts, and 21 more are at risk. Only 3 percent of active attorneys live in rural areas, though these rural regions are home to 12 percent of the state’s population.
- Survivors of violence: Between 2020 and 2024, legal aid organizations obtained more than 21,300 restraining orders for survivors and provided assistance to over 57,600 people in households. Yet, federal funding for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) faces a 45 percent cut. While the state provided a one-time $103 million backfill in 2024, no replacement funds are included in the 2025–2026 budget. This would result in a 67 percent drop in VOCA funding since 2019.
Call to action
The State Bar urges policymakers to:
- Increase funding through the Equal Access Fund by at least $50 million.
- Restore flexibility in grant programs to allow rapid responses to emerging needs.
- Invest in workforce resilience and expand immigration legal capacity.
Legal aid is one of the most cost-effective and humanizing interventions available, the brief finds. Without renewed investment, California risks deepening inequities and losing the only safety net protecting its most vulnerable residents.
The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.
Source: State Bar of California
