Washington, D.C.--The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is proud to announce that Eric Holder, partner at Covington & Burling LLP and former U.S. Attorney General, will receive the 2016 Justice John Paul Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award. Holder will receive the award at NLADA’s prestigious event, the Exemplar Award Dinner, to be held on Thursday, September 29, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
NLADA’s Justice John Paul Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed on a government, academy or law firm attorney whose life’s achievements so far have made major national improvements that increase fairness in justice for all people, regardless of race, color, creed or income. As Attorney General, Holder’s leadership bolstered civil rights and access to justice.
Jo-Ann Wallace, NLADA President & CEO, said, “As Attorney General, Eric Holder spearheaded the establishment of the Office for Access to Justice at the Department of Justice. Under his stewardship the Department took significant and consequential action to strengthen racial justice, improve the delivery of public defense and curtail law enforcement abuses. His powerful leadership in moments of great division between our nation’s communities serves as an inspiration, and he leaves a legacy in government of unwavering commitment to the primacy of justice”.
More than 500 advocates for equal justice, including private attorneys, general counsel and public interest lawyers, will come together at the event to pay tribute to those individuals and law firms that have made a critical impact on the lives of innumerable disadvantaged Americans. In addition to Eric Holder, Louise Pentland, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of PayPal, will be honored with the 2016 NLADA Exemplar Award. Other notable equal justice champions will be honored with the Kutak-Dodds Prizes, which will be awarded to a civil legal aid lawyer and to a public defense attorney for their longstanding and outstanding service in providing legal services to individuals most in need.
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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association, 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 through the creation of public defender systems and other important institutions from The Sentencing Project to the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). A leader in the development of national standards for legal aid and indigent defense, NLADA also provides advocacy, training and technical assistance for equal justice advocates across the country.
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