NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY CENTER
"Promoting Ethics in Government"
103 West Broad Street, Suite 620
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
703-237-1970, Fax 703-237-2090
www.nlpc.org, nlpc@nlpc.org
Legal Services Accountability Project
 
SPECIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS
 
July 2000
 
The LSC Case Over-Counting Scandal of 1999
 
 
APPENDIX 5
 
Analysis: Average Cost Per Case and Total Cases Closed 1980 - 1997 Legal Services Programs
 
Grant
Year
Annual LSC
Appropriation
($ in millions)
Non-LSC
Funding
($ in millions)
LSC and 
Non-LSC Funding
($ in millions)
Total Cases
Closed
(in millions)
Average Cost
Per Case
(Total Funding)
1980
300.0
37.7
337.7
1.144
$295
1981
321.3
48.1
369.4
1.245
$267
1982
241.0
50.0
291.0
1.147
$254
1983
241.0
52.0
293.0
1.274
$230
1984
275.0
63.7
338.7
1.227
$276
1985
305.0
81.5
386.5
1.311
$295
1986
292.4
91.0
383.4
N/A
N/A
1987
305.5
121.0
426.5
1.422
$300
1988
305.5
129.2
434.7
1.430
$304
1989
308.5
149.1
457.6
1.453
$315
1990
316.5
183.9
500.4
1.487
$337
1991
328.2
200.4
528.6
1.526
$346
1992
350.0
238.6
588.6
1.563
$377
1993
357.0
245.8
602.8
1.617
$373
1994
400.0
242.8
642.8
1.686
$381
1995
400.0
253.5
653.5
1.658
$394
1996
278.0
209.0
487.0
1.426
$342
1997
283.0
228.8
551.8
1.461
$350
Average
$311.6
$145.9
$457.4
1.416
$321
 

Comments:
1. The primary source for this analysis is the fact book for the 1997 program.

2. The analyst determined average cost per case figures by dividing total funding by total cases closed. The chart shows that average costs were greatest in years the program received the most total funding (1992-1995).

3. LSC reported the 1998 program produced 1.1 million cases. It was the lowest reported number in program history until LSC reported to Congress that the 1999 program only produced 924,000 cases.

4. The Corporation did not report any closed cases for 1986 in this fact book.

Index of the LSC Case Over-Counting Scandal

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