ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS-PRIMA FACIE Single person, $2,200; married couple, $2,700; family of four, $3,700; addition per dependent, $500. Program description.—(Give brief overall description of program including location of offices. Also describe innovative features, including unique methods of providing local share, and types of cases omitted in addition to felonies and fee generating cases.) This is a state-wide program providing legal assistance to the rural poor of California, primarily farmworkers. The program has one central office in San Francisco and 10 regional offices: El Centro, Gilroy, Madera, Modesto, McFarland, Santa Rosa, Santa Maria, Salinas, Marysville, and Sacramento. The Sacramento office is devoted to legislative advocacy and to representing clients from other offices before government gencies located in Sacramento. The program has excelled in innovative group representation and other litigation and economic development geared to having a substantial impact in changing the lot of the poor. The program's priorities, approved by its local advisory committees, continue to emphasize law reform work over servicing an individual caseload; yet approximately 90% of attorney time is spent on individual client situations. The program continues to take seriously its commitment to training its attorneys and community workers and their cooperation with local CAA's continues to be excellent. The program continues to publish excellent manuals and brochures, many of which are used by other LSP's. The only thing new in this year's grant is the Cooperative Legal Assistance Center (CLAC). CRLA will administer this grant under which assistance will be provided to the smaller legal services programs in the region. Smaller programs have continually requested monies for consulting attorneys, depositions, expert witnesses, investigations, etc. The programs assert that without greater resources they are unable to deal with many of the legal problems brought to them. This grant will provide 3 experienced attorneys who will be assigned full-time to work with 21 smaller programs. In addition the senior staff of CRLA will devote 10% of their time to these programs. These attorneys will assist in training younger attorneys, and in providing research and expertise in various areas. The grant will also provide a small pool of consultant monies which will enable these programs to make proper use of depositions, investigators, expert witnesses, etc. A good deal of interest has already been shown by the smaller programs in the CLAC. The need for a back-up resource is particularly great in California, which has more Legal Services programs than any other state. CHECK LIST For every no answer please list number of special condition where defect is remedied. If an item is not to be remedied by a special condition, please attach explanation on separate sheet. Does application contain or provide for: 1. Civil rights compliance (if none on file). 2. Documented compliance with CAP Memo (new programs only). Yes X 3. Handling of all civil cases except fee generating cases-. 4. Plan to refer fee generating cases to private attorneys_. 5. Program directed toward law reform__ 6. Community education program_. 7. Program for group representation_. 8. Utilization of law school in community, if applicable_ 9. Provision for recordkeeping in conformity with "How to Apply” book_-- 10. Separate delegate agency or separate governing board for legal services program 11. Lawyer majority on governing board- 12. Approximately target area representation on governing board.... 13. Exclusion of felony representation___. 14. Recapture of unspent legal services funds.. 15. Provision for one research or backup attorney if program has at least five attorneys 16. Maintenance of Effort: Annual level of expenditures before OEO funding. 1 Not available. 2 Dollar amounts not available. If "no", set forth how prior effort is to be maintained outside of program budget. 17. Compensated private attorneys: Does program permit part time attorneys or a fund for compensation of private attorneys in excess of 5% of total budget. If "yes", set forth justification below. 18. Other policy issues (i.e. excessive juvenile representation, poor location of offices, etc.) to be resolved. None. EVALUATION FINDINGS (Briefly describe program strengths and weaknesses found on evaluation and steps taken to remedy weaknesses) The 14-man evaluation team spent one week on this program. In the summary of their findings, they stated: "While not perfect, CRLA is an exemplary Legal Services program providing a balanced approach between orthodox legal services and highly successful impact litigation". They found the calibre of CRLA attorneys was "particularly gratifying". The general tenor of the report commends the attorney staff for its "ability, competence and professionalism". They suggested that in the instances where a young, "overeager" or "inexperienced" attorney made a misjudgment that the CRLA senior staff was quick to respond and remedy the situation. Two of the evaluators had some philosophical problems with legislative advocacy. We have placed special conditions on the grant to delimit areas of legislative advocacy. In conclusion, they indicated "that because of CRLA's proven capacity to plan, initiate and constructively advance client interests", it was their recommendation that the project be refunded. POTENTIAL CONFLICTS (If local Bar Association does not support program, explain reasons and attempts to remedy this situation, if possible. Also detail any conflicts, and resolution thereof, with CAA or other community groups) Bar and community relations are improved and good. There are no known problems with the State OEO. The State OEO member of the evaluation team reported that he found great improvement in CRLA's attempts and success in better community and Bar relations. No real programmatic conflicts have surfaced. SECTION 11:. 11. THIS APPLICATION HAS BEEN (Check "a." or "b." as appropriate) a. Approved by the b. plicant's governing board. Reviewed by the applicant's ad- A copy of this application has been forwarded to the State Governor's office. It is understood and agreed by the undersigned that any grant received as a result of this application will be subject to the general conditions governing CAP' grants. 12. NAME AN, TITLE OF PRINCIPAL GOVERNING OFFICIAL, OR PRINCIPAL OFFICER OF GOVERNING BOARD Daniel 1. CRLA Board of Trustees Luevano, Esq., Chairman CALIFORNIA RURAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ACCOUNT LEGAL SERVICES-JANUARY 1, 1971 TO DECEMBER 31, 1971 1.1 Salaries and wages: Personnel (a) Reduced directing legal secretaries to a salary range of $6,000 (b) Reduced law students to 10---. (c) Eliminated 4 percent for increments---. -- $4,500 $18,000 $46, 213 $5, 497 1.2 Fringe benefits: (a) Reduction for salaries and wages adjustments (8 percent of $3,800 $5,000 Federal share_ Non-personnel costs: Total reduction... CALIFORNIA RURAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE-COOPERATIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE CENTER $74, 210 $8,800 $83, 010 |