More Alaskans are set to have access to free legal aid as Alaska’s largest provider of legal assistance for civil cases gets a boost in short- and longer-term funding from the state and the Rasmuson Foundation, the largest philanthropy in Alaska.
The nonprofit Alaska Legal Services Corp. helps Alaskans with civil legal issues such as housing, public assistance, family law, custody disputes and protective orders, wills and probate issues, Alaska Native law and other areas specific to veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.
It is also the largest provider of free legal services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
State funding for the agency comes from damages and filing fees in civil cases in the Alaska Court system. This year, the Alaska Legislature approved an increase from 10% to 25% of fees, estimated at roughly $460,000 per year. Gov. Mike Dunleavy allowed the legislation to go into law without his signature; the increase will take effect in July 2027.
Maggie Humm, executive director of the corporation, told lawmakers she estimates the organization turns away one person for every person they help due to limited resources. She said they provided legal assistance in over 5,400 cases, impacting nearly 15,000 Alaskans last year.
“When folks, if they do get turned away from our services, they often have nowhere else to go,” Humm said in an interview.
While every criminal defendant has the constitutional right to a lawyer, that’s not the case for civil cases, where people are on their own.
Also on July 1, the Rasmuson Foundation, an Alaska-focused family foundation, announced an award to Alaska Legal Services Corp. of $1 million to go toward the agency’s Community Justice Worker Program.
The program trains community members who are not lawyers to provide legal assistance on specific issues. It’s a significant boost for the agency whose budget is roughly $9.5 million.
“We are creating an additional level of legal helpers for our communities, and with the hope that we will be able to help more people,” Humm said.
She said the model is inspired by the tribal Community Health Aide Program model, aimed at training residents to serve as healthcare providers, particularly in rural and remote Alaska communities.
The community justice workers are trained in providing legal assistance for debt collection defense, enforcement of the Indian Child Welfare Act, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program advocacy, domestic violence protective orders and probate and wills, Humm said.
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