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Local Law Firm to Receive $75,000 for Operating Support

From Inner Banks Legal Services

Washington, NC (January 10, 2023) — Inner Banks Legal Services (IBX) has been awarded a $75,000 grant by the North Carolina Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (NC IOLTA) Program.

IBX is honored to have been invited by NC IOLTA to apply for their 2023 Civil Legal Aid Grant Program. IBX evaluated the 2021 NC Civil Legal Needs Assessment to provide insight into unaddressed requirements and create effective solutions using existing programs. According to the Assessment, 2-7% of Eastern North Carolinians identify as non-citizens, or foreign-born.

The IOLTA funds will allow IBX to continue to bridge the justice gap by providing immigration advocacy services; such as counsel, advice, and representation, at no-cost or low-cost to those seeking legal action in the United States. Their focus includes considerations of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications for unaccompanied minors, and applications and waivers related to domestic violence and human trafficking.

In addition to those services, IBX is teaming up with local partners to launch Immigration and Naturalization Civil Legal Clinics in spring 2023. The clinics will offer immigration and naturalization documentation preparation, review, and support, as well as free consultations for those cases requiring further advocacy.

The firm invites volunteer and contract attorneys, committed immigration advocates, and those passionate about a future in fighting for social justice to join its immigration advocacy team.

About Inner Banks Legal Services

Inner Banks Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit law firm founded in 2017.  Our mission is to bridge the justice gap in North Carolina by providing affordable professional legal counsel to individuals and families that otherwise would not have the financial ability to access the legal system.  Inner Banks Legal Services uses a sliding scale to determine rates for legal services and counsel.  The sliding scale for fees considers income and family size to bridge the justice gap caused by the market rate for legal services that are unaffordable to many working families without compromise in the quality or responsiveness in the representation they receive.