Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) programs were instituted by many states as a method of funding legal services providers.  During a strong economy, these funds generated millions of dollars for local legal aid offices, but over the past year the downturn in the economy has severely depleted these funds.  As a result, legal services providers have smaller budgets and fewer staff to meet the rising demand for legal assistance.  This Daily Times Reader article examines the impact of a 90% cut in IOLTA funding for a Mississippi legal aid.  (continued)

With the economy negatively impacting law firm hiring and retention, new and displaced attorneys are turning to the public sector for jobs.  In this article, the National Law Journal looks specifically at the surge in recruitment for the military JAG Corps.

In this article, the National Law Journal looks at how deferred law firm associates are impacting an already shrinking public interest job market.