BOSTON — The number of Americans who qualify for federally funded civil legal assistance programs because of their low income increased by 3 million from 2008 to 2009, according to the Legal Services Corp.
According to the group, a private nonprofit established by Congress to give grants for civil legal assistance programs for low-income Americans, 57 million Americans qualified for civil legal assistance in 2009, the highest number in the group's 35-year history. The numbers are based on the latest Census data on poverty.