Legal Aid of North Carolina’s LANCMobile is a Mobile Legal Services Unit — Bringing civil legal services directly to your community.
About
In the American justice system, there’s a crucial gap where the civil legal needs of low-income individuals often go unmet. While criminal defendants have a constitutional right to legal representation, those facing civil matters do not enjoy the same privilege. Studies show that 92% of reported civil legal problems among low-income Americans receive inadequate or no legal help at all. In North Carolina alone, approximately two million people are eligible for Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) services, yet are unable to access them due to geographical barriers.
To address these challenges head-on, LANC introduces LANCMobile, a mobile services intake unit. LANCMobile was born out of a pressing need, exacerbated by natural disasters like Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, which wreaked havoc in Western North Carolina. Recognizing the challenges faced by disaster survivors, LANC secured a grant from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to aid those affected. This grant facilitated the creation of LANCMobile to serve disaster-stricken areas and address broader issues of legal deserts and rural community neglect.
LANCMobile is more than just providing legal services; it’s about eliminating barriers to justice access. Through data-driven strategies, LANC and its Innovation Lab will identify rural communities most in need and devise tailored solutions to overcome communication, infrastructure, and service accessibility challenges. LANCMobile aims to facilitate client intake, referrals, legal advice, representation, outreach, and education in areas where legal aid is scarce.
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