FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Stephanie Belasik
Director of Marketing, Communications and Operations
Bar Association of Erie County
716.852.8687, x115
[email protected]
The Bar Association of Erie County Urges Governor to Fully Fund Legal Aid
February 17, 2026 – Legal aid organizations in New York State, including Buffalo-based nonprofits, face damaging reductions in available funding because of a proposal in the FY 27 Executive Budget that fails to meet, by twenty-five million dollars, the requested expenditure from the Interest on Lawyers Trust Fund (IOLA “Fund”). The Bar Association of Erie County (“BAEC”) urges the Governor to include full spending authority for the Fund in her annual budget proposal. The BAEC supports full spending authority because of a potential detrimental impact on local legal aid organizations, such as Neighborhood Legal Services, The Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, Western New York Law Center, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., the Center for Elder Law and Justice, and other nonprofits.
Since its inception in 1887, the BAEC has advocated for justice. “We believe this is a crucial time to be fully funding our legal aid organizations. These organizations do incredibly important legal work in the community that is fundamental to access to justice for all,” states BAEC President Brian Melber. “These non-profits work tirelessly to make the legal system more accessible to those who cannot pay for legal services, and we should do nothing to jeopardize their finances now or in the future.”
The BAEC joins with bar associations and legal service providers statewide to support fully funding legal aid.
The IOLA fund is sourced from interest earned on accounts maintained by attorneys for their clients. Under state law and ethics rules, attorneys must put clients’ money they hold in trust in interest bearing accounts. Banks transfer interest earned on these accounts to the IOLA Fund. The IOLA fund, since 1983, has been used to support legal aid and access to justice. The amount of available funding varies year by year depending on external factors, such as interest rates.
More information about the IOLA fund can be found at www.iola.org/about-iola.
ABOUT THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF ERIE COUNTY
The Bar Association of Erie County (“BAEC” or “Association”), a not-for-profit professional association, was founded in 1887. The Association serves its members by educating, pursuing justice, and fostering camaraderie, well-being, and belonging. The Association is a trusted voice and partner in the community, advocates professional well-being and inclusion, and provides lawyers with the skills and tools to achieve excellence in the practice of law and pursuit of justice.
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