About Us

Funding

Contributions

The primary source of revenue in this category is the MALS’ annual fundraising campaign, through which individuals, law firms, and corporations donate funds.

Federal, State and Local Government

Revenue in this category includes any grants from federal sources (e.g., Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, etc.), state funds from the Civil Legal Representation for Indigents Fund administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts, Title III funding from the Shelby County Government administered by the Aging Commission of the Mid-South and funds from local government such as Community Development Block Grants from the City of Memphis.

Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), Foundations and Other

The IOLTA program in Tennessee was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1984 and is administered by the Tennessee Bar Foundation.  The program raises and distributes funds in the form of grants to organizations in Tennessee that provide direct legal services to the indigent, to organizations that seek to improve the administration of justice and to students, in the form of scholarships, at the state-supported law schools.  Revenue from foundations (e.g., The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis) and other miscellaneous awards are included in this category.

Legal Services Corporation(LSC)

The main source of funding for civil legal aid in the nation, LSC awards grant funds through a competitive process to provide legal services to persons living in poverty in a given state or service area.