---
title: Atlas Commons research objects — civil legal aid capacity for Massachusetts (FY2025)
license: CC0-1.0
source: Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025)
---

# Atlas Commons research objects — civil legal aid capacity for Massachusetts (FY2025)

Massachusetts's LSC-funded civil legal aid capacity from the LSC Basic Field grant directory, with each figure's status labeled so a consuming agent can weight it correctly: the measured LSC records (provider count, awarded grant dollars, service-area types, and the Census-based poverty population LSC allocates by); one computed figure — LSC funding per person in poverty — a transparent ratio neither LSC nor Census publishes, with its formula disclosed; and the interpretive boundary (what this funding/capacity surface is, and is not). Source: LSC Basic Field grant directory. CC0.

## Claims

### 4 LSC-funded civil legal aid providers received $8,292,014 in Massachusetts (FY2025)

**RECORDED.** The LSC Basic Field grant directory records 4 LSC-funded civil legal aid grantees in Massachusetts for fiscal year 2025, awarded $8,292,014 in total. A re-tally of published LSC grant awards.

Source: Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025) — https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/who-we-are/our-grantees
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025); superseded when Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025) publishes its next release.

### 699,243 people in poverty live in the LSC service areas covering Massachusetts (FY2025)

**RECORDED.** The poverty population in the LSC Basic Field service areas covering Massachusetts is 699,243, the figure LSC uses to allocate Basic Field grants. A Census/ACS-based poverty count summed across the state's service areas.

Source: Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory — poverty population (U.S. Census/ACS) — https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/who-we-are/our-grantees
Falsifier: Re-tally of LSC's published service-area poverty figures (occurred=true), from a named authority — BUT the underlying poverty count is a U.S. Census/ACS SURVEY ESTIMATE with sampling error, not a hard census enumeration. Superseded with each LSC grant cycle / ACS vintage.

### LSC grant counts by service-area type in Massachusetts (FY2025): Basic Field 4

**RECORDED.** Counts of the 4 LSC grants by LSC service-area type: Basic Field 4. A count of grants per LSC-defined service-area category.

Source: Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025) — https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/who-we-are/our-grantees
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025); superseded when Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (FY2025) publishes its next release.

### LSC civil legal aid funding is $11.86 per person in poverty in Massachusetts (FY2025) — a derived ratio

**DERIVED.** Dividing the $8,292,014 in LSC Basic Field funding for service areas with a reported poverty population by the 699,243 people in poverty there yields $11.86 of LSC civil legal aid funding per person in poverty in Massachusetts. A transparent ratio neither LSC nor Census publishes.

Source: Justice Atlas — derived ratio (LSC allocation ÷ service-area poverty population, over the same set of grants) — https://justice-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/
Falsifier: occurred=FALSE (a constructed ratio, not an event) and adjudged=FALSE (the atlas's calculation, not an LSC/Census figure). Reproduce it: $8,292,014 ÷ 699,243 = $11.86. Falsified if either input is wrong; it counts ONLY LSC Basic Field funding for grants with a reported poverty figure, not total civil legal aid spending, so it understates total per-capita legal aid.

### What this legal-aid surface is — and is NOT — for Massachusetts (the epistemic boundary)

**INTERPRETATION.** Every figure above describes LSC Basic Field grant CAPACITY and FUNDING for Massachusetts (FY2025). It is NOT all civil legal aid (LSC funds only part of the field; it excludes non-LSC legal aid, pro bono, and self-help), NOT a measure of cases handled, outcomes, or unmet need, and NOT a statement of whether you personally qualify for legal aid. For eligibility and help, use LawHelp.org / your local LSC grantee; for the full justice gap, see LSC's Justice Gap research.

Source: Justice Atlas framing (over the LSC facts above) — https://justice-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/
Falsifier: occurred=FALSE (a framing, not an event) and adjudged=FALSE (the atlas's reading, not an LSC verdict) — the LOWEST-warrant claim here. The figures above are LSC records plus one disclosed derived ratio; the four-status labels each, and this is the only interpretation.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years civil statute of limitations for defamation (libel / slander) (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4, the civil statute of limitations for defamation (libel / slander) in Massachusetts is 3 years. Note: Fraudulent-concealment tolling possible in rare cases.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section4
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years civil statute of limitations for fraud (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, the civil statute of limitations for fraud in Massachusetts is 3 years. Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); Fraudulent concealment tolls under § 12.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2A
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years; max 7 years (repose) civil statute of limitations for medical malpractice (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4, the civil statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Massachusetts is 3 years; max 7 years (repose). Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); an outer statute of repose of 7 year(s) may also bar the claim; Foreign-object exception to the 7-year repose; tolling for minors under age 6.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section4
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years civil statute of limitations for personal injury (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, the civil statute of limitations for personal injury in Massachusetts is 3 years. Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); Tolling for minors under § 7 and incapacity.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2A
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years civil statute of limitations for product liability (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, the civil statute of limitations for product liability in Massachusetts is 3 years. Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); Express-warranty claims governed by UCC 4-year limit (§ 2-318).. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2A
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years civil statute of limitations for property damage (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, the civil statute of limitations for property damage in Massachusetts is 3 years. Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); Standard tolling rules apply.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2A
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 3 years from death or discovery civil statute of limitations for wrongful death (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, § 2)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, § 2, the civil statute of limitations for wrongful death in Massachusetts is 3 years from death or discovery. Note: a discovery rule may apply (the clock may start at discovery, not occurrence); Underlying claim must have been timely as of death (Fabiano rule).. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter229/Section2
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 6 years civil statute of limitations for contract oral (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2, the civil statute of limitations for contract oral in Massachusetts is 6 years. Note: UCC 4-year limit governs sales of goods.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Massachusetts sets a 6 years civil statute of limitations for contract written (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2)

**RECORDED.** Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2, the civil statute of limitations for contract written in Massachusetts is 6 years. Note: Sales of goods under UCC subject to 4-year limit.. This is the STATUTE as written (verify at the cited code), last verified 2026-04-29 — NOT a calculation of any person's actual deadline, which depends on accrual and tolling.

Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2
Falsifier: A RECORD of measured/reported events (occurred=true) from CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026); superseded when CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) publishes its next release.

### Why these statute-of-limitations periods are NOT your deadline (the L5 boundary)

**INTERPRETATION.** The periods above are the statutes Massachusetts has on the books. They do NOT tell you YOUR deadline. When a claim "accrues" (starts the clock), whether the discovery rule, tolling, a minor/incapacity, or a statute of repose changes it, and which cause of action even applies, are fact-specific legal determinations. A missed deadline can permanently bar a claim. This atlas informs and routes — it is not legal advice and not a substitute for a licensed attorney. If you may have a claim, consult an attorney in Massachusetts immediately; for free civil legal aid see this state's legal-aid page.

Source: Justice Atlas framing (over the statutes above) — https://justice-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/
Falsifier: occurred=FALSE (a framing/legal boundary, not an event) and adjudged=FALSE (the atlas's reading, not a court's ruling on any case) — the lowest-warrant claim. The period+citation claims above are recorded statutes (verifiable at the cited code); this boundary is the only interpretation on the SOL data.

---

Every claim above carries a four-status warrant (RECORDED / MODELED / DERIVED / INTERPRETATION) and a named source you can re-fetch — this is a research object, not a flat fact. Structured: `https://justice-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/justice/states/ma.jsonld`

## Data

### Massachusetts — every legal-aid indicator (typed)

Each official figure for this state with its four-status warrant and named source. RECORDED = a re-tally of published LSC/Census values; DERIVED = an in-house ratio (allocation ÷ service-area poverty population).

| indicator | value | warrant | source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LSC-funded providers (distinct organizations) | 4 | RECORDED | Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory |
| LSC service-area grants | 4 | RECORDED | Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory |
| Total LSC allocation (USD) | 8292014 | RECORDED | Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory |
| Poverty population in service areas | 699243 | RECORDED | Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory (U.S. Census/ACS) |
| LSC funding per person in poverty (USD) | 11.858558469659332 | DERIVED | Justice Atlas — allocation ÷ poverty population |
| Fiscal year | 2025 | — | Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Basic Field grant directory |

### Massachusetts — LSC grants by service-area type (RECORDED)

Counts of the state's LSC grants by LSC-defined service-area category — a count of grants per program type.

| service_area_type | grant_count |
| --- | --- |
| Basic Field | 4 |

### Massachusetts — LSC-funded legal-aid grants (RECORDED)

The full LSC Basic Field grant directory for this state: one row per grant (an organization may hold more than one). Allocation is the awarded grant amount; poverty population is the Census/ACS figure LSC allocates by (blank where LSC does not report it for that service area).

| organization | service_area | service_area_type | allocation_usd | poverty_population |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association | MA-11 | Basic Field | 2978618 | 251179 |
| Community Legal Aid, Inc. | MA-10 | Basic Field | 2498686 | 210707 |
| South Coastal Counties Legal Services | MA-12 | Basic Field | 1579769 | 133218 |
| Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. | MA-4 | Basic Field | 1234941 | 104139 |