Key Points: 

• Civil legal aid funded by the state for the first time 

• Federal funding cuts could still impact service 

• Attorneys, lawmakers plan still focused on funding

Facing sweeping federal cuts, Arizona has allocated state funding to civil legal aid for the first time in its fiscal history. 

Currently, three organizations provide civil legal assistance to those who cannot afford an attorney – Community Legal Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid and DNA People’s Legal Services. 

Federal funding from the Legal Services Corporation, or LSC, accounts for around 53% to 80% of the three organizations’ budgets. But with a White House budget seeking to dismantle LSC entirely and no state budget ever accounting for legal need, Arizona’s three aid organizations were left in limbo. 

The final state budget for Fiscal Year 2026 allocates $3 million for civil legal aid organizations, an appropriation advocates hope will soften the blow to the state’s pro-bono and low-cost legal services in the event of a full-blown $16 million federal budget cut. 

“Certainly $3 million into the process provides some cushion. It certainly doesn’t replace $16 million if, heaven forbid, the worst case scenario takes place, but it’s an additional support,” Sharon Sergent, executive director of Community Legal Services, said. “Hopefully we never get to that worst case scenario, but we are definitely thankful that state funding has been appropriated.” 

The threat of a federal funding pull has loomed over civil legal aid before, but never came to fruition under President Donald Trump’s first term. However, the president’s 2026 budget proposal reduces LSC funding from $560 million to $21 million in shutdown costs, bringing the fear into focus once again. 

In response, the Arizona Supreme Court convened civil legal service providers, lawmakers and members of the judiciary to mobilize around an appropriation in the state budget. 

“Lawmakers get those phone calls on a daily basis from constituents explaining the problems they’re facing, be it housing issues, issues with Social Security,” Sergent said. “I think they have a sensitivity to that already, and it’s providing the information as to how legal services steps into that breach and provides that access to justice. We are the ones that are called upon for many of their constituents who don’t have another place to turn.” 

The aim was initially $10 million, with Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, taking up the issue in the Democratic caucus, and Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, working with Republicans. 

Ortiz attributed the success in getting funding in the budget at all to a stroke of bipartisanship. 

“This is an example of us being able to put politics aside in order to do what is best for low income Arizonans in particular,” Ortiz said. 

Looking forward, Ortiz hopes the same spirit takes hold of state delegates as the proposed cuts move through Congress.  

“I hope congressional Republicans will learn from the bipartisanship we display here in Arizona to do what’s necessary to stop the federal funding cuts that are coming to civil legal aid,” Ortiz said. 

Chris Groninger, chief strategy officer for the Arizona Bar Foundation, said she hopes the $3 million will prevent an all-out shuttering of services in the event of a slash. 

“Three million feels like we’re not going to shut doors. This will lessen the crash. This will lessen the impact,” Groninger said. “We understand that there’s a lot of tough decisions that are being made, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to really show how this service matters in real time, not in the emergency.”

Sergent said civil legal service organizations will continue to work to educate lawmakers on the contributions to constituents. 

“If legal aid isn’t properly funded at both the state and the federal level, Arizonans’ ability to get justice is going to depend on how much money they have in their pockets. And that’s not justice.”