Sandman to Speak 2/26 at Symposium on Future of Legal Aid

WASHINGTON – Legal Services Corporation President James J. Sandman will be a panelist February 26 at a symposium exploring what attorneys are doing to help the poor and the future of free legal assistance for low-income people.

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, is the keynote speaker at the event, “The Next 4 Years: What Lies Ahead for Legal Services, Pro Bono, and the Access to Justice?”

The symposium will be held from noon-1:30 p.m, at the Center for American Progress, 1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor, in Washington, DC.

D.C. Access to Justice Commission Chair Peter Edelman will moderate the event, which is sponsored by the Washington Council of Lawyers and the Center for American Progress. Other speakers include Alan Houseman, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy; Deborah Leff, acting senior counselor for the U.S. Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative; Nancy Lopez, executive director of the Washington Council of Lawyers; Joy Moses, senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress; and Jo-Ann Wallace, president and CEO of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974. For 50 years, LSC has provided financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.  