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Grants and Projects

Through competitive grants and community support, Legal Services Vermont manages projects that increase access to justice in Vermont.

Current and recent Access to Justice (A2J) projects

Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant

Our core funding from the Legal Services Corporation supports all our work to provide legal assistance to low-income Vermonters statewide, including eviction defense, homelessness prevention, and help with debt collection, bankruptcy, Social Security benefit terminations, and much more.

HELP (Housing for Everyone Law Project) Grant

LSV partners with Vermont Legal Aid to give legal help to Vermonters maintain their current housing or move into more affordable housing. LSV works with clients in Chittenden, Rutland, Addison and Washington counties, and we provide in-court assistance to many people facing eviction lawsuits.

VOCA (Victims of Crime Assistance) Grant

We partner with Vermont Legal Aid, domestic violence and crime victim support agencies statewide to provide Vermonters with access to crime victim assistance. Crime victims can call our statewide helpline and get information, advice and referrals for legal assistance with their situations.

Migrant outreach

With funding from the Legal Services Corporation in conjunction with Pine Tree Legal Assistance, LSV provides outreach and legal assistance to migrant farmworkers in Vermont who are here under the H-2A visa program.

    Pro bono projects

    LSV works with private attorneys around the state to refer cases for low-income Vermonters who can’t afford a lawyer.  We provide support to volunteer lawyers who can help clients with legal needs in a range of areas, at either no cost to the client or at a reduced fee.

    We received special funding from the Legal Services Corporation Pro Bono Innovation Fund to improve our Pro Bono Program.

    • We piloted a program to bring volunteer attorneys into court to assist low-income Vermonters facing non-payment eviction. This program was recently recognized in a report to Congress as an innovative project to respond to the eviction crisis.
    • We received funding through a “Transformation Grant” to revamp our Pro Bono Program and expand private attorney involvement to assist our clients.

    Bankruptcy projects

    LSV has received several grants from the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation to expand assistance to clients in need of bankruptcy. Projects have included providing training for private lawyers to take on pro bono bankruptcy cases, and providing public education on bankruptcy and debt relief.

    Legal help website improvements

    LSV manages an extensive statewide legal help website, VTLawHelp.org. It provides information on a wide range of legal issues, as well as online legal assistance tools and forms to ask for legal help.

    We received special funding from the Legal Services Corporation Technology Initiative Grant program to improve VTLawHelp.org and provide additional support for Vermonters who need legal help.  

    • We made our statewide legal help website, VTLawHelp.org, more accessible to people using mobile devices and people living with disabilities.
    • We added new short videos and step-by-step legal “Roadmaps” to VTLawHelp.org.
    • We’re now working to create guided interviews for key court forms. Called VTCourtForms, they allow Vermonters to more easily fill and file important court forms.