The federal government established the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to provi

The federal government established the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to provide federal funds to local legal assistance programs for individuals who cannot afford legal assistance. LSC restricts the use of the funds for some purposes including participating in class-action lawsuits. The recipients must maintain legal physical and financial separation from organizations that engage in these activities. In 2005 in the interest of cutting costs Oregon directed legal assistance programs in the state to consolidate in situations in which separate organizations provided services in the same geographic area.