A longstanding aspect of Iowa Legal Aid's organizational structure has been Local Service Area Advisory Councils. Iowa Legal Aid was formed through the merger of five local legal aid offices. Local Service Area Advisory Councils were designed as a way to ensure communication between regional offices and the statewide Board of Directors. A Local Service Area Advisory Council is a group composed of lawyers, clients, representatives of agencies that provide services to low-income Iowans, funders and others from the regional office service area. These local councils guide, counsel and assist the regional office with its local fundraising, outreach and service related needs. The Board of Directors of Iowa Legal Aid grants powers and authority as necessary to these local advisory councils. Special projects of Iowa Legal Aid may have advisory councils with the same powers and authority granted to Local Service Area Advisory Councils or as required by a funding source supporting the project.
The Local Service Area Advisory Councils have the following powers, duties and responsibilities:
Recommend policies, in close consultation with the staff of its service area program, concerning the functioning of Iowa Legal Aid in that service area, with particular regard to eligibility standards, priorities for problems to be solved, and methods of securing clients, with recommendations shall be strongly considered by the Board;
Participate in statewide priority setting procedures;
Assist local office with fundraising;
Assist local office with promoting awareness of the program;
Make appropriate recommendations for policy changes to Iowa Legal Aid Board of Directors;
Assist the staff in informing prospective clients of the services of the program and securing volunteer personnel, both legal and non-legal, to assist and supplement the efforts of staff;
Perform such duties as are assigned to such councils by other sections of the program's bylaws or the Board of Directors;
Evaluate the operations of Iowa Legal Aid in the advisory council's area;
Offer advice regarding the expenditure of special project funds generated on the local (service area) level; and
Provide appropriate support and assistance to obtain state, local and other public and private funding.
LSC:
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