53 Pa. Stat. § 22654
That cities of the second class be, and they are hereby, authorized and empowered to maintain, as part of their legal department, a Bureau of Conciliation, Small Claims, and Legal Aid, and through such bureau, to render legal aid, in meritorious cases, without charge, to applicants whose claims and means are such as to make it impracticable to employ counsel, and, to that end, to take over the funds and like cases of any existing legal aid society desirous of surrendering its functions and assets to such city; and such city is hereby empowered to select and pay such employés, and incur such expenses, and make such appropriations, and do all such other things as, in the discretion of the municipal authorities, may be necessary or convenient to carry out the power and authority hereby conferred.
53 P.S. § 22654