That expansion continued in the 1970s, with Congress starting the Legal Services Corporation in 1974. In 1966, the Office of Economic Opportunity funded legal services programs in Multnomah, Marion, and Lane Counties. After WPA funding ended in 1937, legal aid operated as a two or three person office until the 1960s, relying on the support of charitable organizations and small donations from a few lawyers. Janet Starkey was the Executive Director of the office for the first 25 years it was open. More than 1,700 people sought help in the first six months. On that first day, 30 clients needing legal help came to the new office. On February 15, 1936, the office opened with three lawyers and two stenographers. In 1935, Portland lawyer Gus Solomon persuaded the newly formed Oregon State Bar to approve a legal aid office for Portland funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and local lawyers. The Law y e r s’ Summer 2011 2010-2011 Annual Report 20th Anniversary Edition Campaign for e qua L jusTiCe We’re In It For The Long Haul This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of legal aid in Oregon and the 20th anniversary of the Campaign for Equal Justice.
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