| Legal Aid Society of Hawaii scored a landmark victory in court when U.S. District Judge Alan Kay blocked an attempt by Congress to dictate how legal service organizations spend nonfederal funds.
"It's the first case that challenged the restrictions, and in a dramatic way, it creates a standard," said Victor Geminiani, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii executive director.
"We are very pleased."
Kay issued a preliminary injunction last week blocking the U.S. Legal Services Corp. from putting new guidelines into effect that would prohibit legal aid organizations from using any funds - even nonfederal funds - for lobbying or challenging federal or state welfare laws.
Federal funds will account for about 28 percent of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii's projected $2.8 million budget for 1997, Geminiani said.
Thirty-five percent of the remaining total will come from the state and the rest from private sources.
Kay's ruling means the federal government can only dictate how it wants its money used. "We've always segregated our funds anyway," Geminiani said.
Kay's decision applies only to the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and four other legal aid organizations based in California and Alaska that filed suit last month to block the new guidelines. | 