The North Dakota Indigent Civil Legal Services Fund Advisory Committee today announced the recipients of its grant funds for the 2023-25 biennium. Legal Services of North Dakota will receive 99.5% and Dakota Plains Legal Services will receive 0.5% of the funds.
“We are pleased to award these funds to two North Dakota programs that specialize in providing legal services to low income and vulnerable populations,” said Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, Indigent Civil Legal Services Fund Advisory Committee member. “These funds specifically provide civil legal assistance to indigent individuals, making a difference for individuals involved in civil and family cases.”
Miller added that in 2022, Legal Services of North Dakota assisted 4,531 North Dakota residents, of whom 1,025 were age 60 and older. Both grant recipients are committed to increasing access to justice with quality, timely legal assistance.
The grant is funded by a portion of district court civil case fees and is distributed to the legal service program recipients quarterly. The grant fund totaled $661,004 for the 2021-23 biennium. The amount awarded is based on the population within the provider’s service area, range of legal services offered, and availability of alternative funding sources.
The Indigent Civil Legal Services Fund Advisory Committee is comprised of the lieutenant governor, the director of the Office of Management and Budget or designee, and the state court administrator.