Congress recently completed most of the appropriations process for the 2026 federal budget, and the final bills reflect an enduring bipartisan commitment to access to justice even in challenging budget times.
With broad bipartisan support, the final appropriations for 2026 maintained $540 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to fund legal aid programs in Illinois and throughout the country. While there is still much more work to be done to meet the growing unmet need for legal help, this strong support underscores that LSC remains a shared priority across political lines in Congress.
Congress also showed strong support for the federal courts by approving increased funding for judicial security and the federal defender program. At a time of mounting threats to the judiciary, this funding provides critical and enhanced protection for federal judges and their families as well as improved security at courthouses. The increased funding for the federal defenders also was an essential step to stabilize the program after it was chronically underfunded the past few years. The past funding shortfalls had required the program to institute a hiring freeze and suspend payments to defenders.
The Illinois congressional delegation once again played a big part in these successes, and our legal community’s leadership in continuing to make the case is more important than ever. Please thank your Senators and Representative for their strong, bipartisan support of funding for legal aid and the federal courts for 2026.