WASHINGTON — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association joins the legal community in honoring the life and legacy of Alan Houseman, Founder and Director of Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) Research Institute. The institute was responsible for significant new approaches in poverty law and investigating the delivery of civil legal aid services.
He was also responsible for funding national and state support centers and the National Clearinghouse (now known as the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law) while at LSC. Houseman served on NLADA’s Board and chair of NLADA’s Civil Committee.
Learn more about Alan Houseman here: The Passing of a Giant\
April Frazier Camara, NLADA President and CEO stated:
“Alan was a fierce and dedicated advocate for civil legal aid. His work with NLADA and LSC undoubtedly changed the lives of millions of people. His immeasurable contributions to legal services are inspirational to the equal justice community and will be remembered forever.”
Houseman was an incredibly knowledgeable, supportive partner for NLADA and its members. One of his last official roles, as Vice President of the National Equal Justice Library, was reflective of his devotion to justice and his commitment to memorializing a place in history for the many equal justice champions that have helped hold our democracy to its promise of “liberty and justice for all.”
Jo-Ann Wallace, President, CEO, and Board Chairperson, NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG stated:
“Alan was fiercely dedicated to eradicating poverty and to the work of equal justice advocates and was a central force for decades in the development of modern civil legal aid systems and infrastructure. He never hesitated to offer his extensive expertise to strategize or partner with NLADA — whether it was about new ways of expanding resources, reconfiguring delivery systems, complex legal or regulatory interpretations, advancing racial equity, or anything that we asked of him as we worked to support members and advance equal justice. While the thought of addressing new challenges without Alan’s input will take some getting used to, I have no doubt that his guidance over the years will be accessible through the many leaders who have benefitted from his expert counsel.”
Clint Lyons, Former NLADA President and CEO & Former President & CEO of NLADA Insurance Program (Service Corporation) stated:
“For more than a half-century of my work in the equal justice movement, I have known and worked with Alan Houseman as a friend, colleague, and trusted advisor. I experienced firsthand the value he brought to our friendship and work and his accomplishments and progress in advancing equal justice. Alan was a giant and leader in the pursuit of equal justice and its values; the entire community of advocates, legal and client, benefited from his tireless advocacy. God bless you, old friend; the progress you engineered on the equal justice front will continue.”
Jack Londen, NLADA Board Member, stated:
“Alan Houseman was a poverty lawyer, start to finish. He knew our country could use law and policy to help poor people — and to accomplish that, poor people must have lawyers. Alan became, in substance, the General Counsel to America’s legal aid programs and support centers, giving them advice and representation for decades. We will remember him.”
Don Saunders, former NLADA Senior Vice President of Policy, stated:
"Alan dedicated his life to the noble goal of justice for those in our society who have been left behind. I have never known anyone with a more singular focus on improving the lives of those Americans living in poverty and lacking access to our system of justice. I was privileged to work directly in Washington with Alan for over 30 years. Before that, he adroitly defended my statewide legal aid program against a spirited attack from the Reagan administration's LSC board.
“I was always in awe of Alan's intellect, work ethic, and total commitment to our cause. His output - in providing astute guidance to legal aid programs under attack, serving as scrivener on the history of legal aid, or in pursuing policies at CLASP aimed at helping low-income families escape the shackles of poverty- is simply legendary. It's hard to envision the ship of equal justice without Alan at the helm. He will be sorely missed, but his contributions to justice in America will last forever.”
NLADA sends its deepest sympathies to Mr. Houseman’s family, friends and colleagues. His vast and varied array of contributions to legal aid and public defense truly left the world better than he found it. To read more about his outstanding life and contribution to equal justice, please click here. (add link to larger obit) [email protected]
###
The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is America's oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state, and local levels, playing a leadership role in the creation of public defender systems and other important institutions from The Sentencing Project to the Legal Services Corporation. A leader in the development of national standards for civil legal aid and public defense, NLADA also provides advocacy, training, and technical assistance for equal justice advocates across the country.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
