A Critical Setback for Access to Justice

The recently approved North Carolina state budget redirects nearly all IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account) funding away from civil legal aid. For more than 40 years, IOLTA has helped organizations like Pisgah Legal provide free legal services to people with low incomes—using interest earned on lawyers’ trust accounts, not taxpayer dollars.

While this loss is significant, our commitment to the people of Western North Carolina has not changed. Thanks to careful planning, our services will continue without interruption for now, but replacing this longstanding source of funding will be one of our greatest challenges in the years ahead. Your support has never been more important. Together, we can ensure families, seniors, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and others across our region continue to have access to the civil legal aid they need when it matters most.

To learn more about the impact of these changes, read the full update, watch client stories, and find additional resources at pisgahlegal.org/iolta.