NLADA: Safeguarding Justice

May 4, 2017

Every day, lawyers and advocates are on the front lines working to make equal justice a reality. They provide low cost or pro bono legal services, and - equally important - they push for policies that support equal access to our justice system for all, regardless of income. And we at NLADA have helped for more than 100 years to #SafeguardJustice. 
 
Justice, fairness, and equality are the bedrock principles of our nation and cornerstones of our democracy - and it is the responsibility and privilege of legal professionals to ensure that these principles apply equally to every individual. More than 50 years ago this week, then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy delivered a speech at the University of Chicago Law School discussing the central role that lawyers play in making equal justice a reality.

Fifty years later, addressing an audience on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the late Justice Antonin Scalia echoed that sentiment, as he remarked on the significance of the role of counsel to the well-known words etched on the U.S. Supreme Court. Now as ever, lawyers stand at the forefront of every major issue facing people in our country.
Starting this month, we invite you to stand with us as we shine a light on the pivotal role that counsel plays in safeguarding justice. We will be sharing new NLADA resources available to support excellence in the delivery of representation to people who can't afford counsel as well as research, articles and images from our work over 10 decades. We will also highlight stories from our upcoming conferences, the ABA-NLADA Equal Justice Conference in Pittsburgh this week, May 4-6, and from our Holistic Defense and Leadership Conferences in Baltimore, June 7-9.

We invite you to join us on social media to share your stories about why you, too, have committed to safeguarding justice and why counsel matters.
  
Stand with us share your message, join our member community, volunteer, or donate to support this important work. Together, we can #SafeguardJustice.

Click here to take a look at just a few of NLADA's resources that help #SafeguardJustice.

May 18, 2017

Americans understand that access to counsel is a fundamental pillar of the rule of law in our country, in both the civil and criminal justice systems. For more than 100 years, NLADA has advocated for policies that advance access to counsel and supported the lawyers and advocates who deliver legal services. Earlier this month, I invited you to stand with us as we #SafeguardJustice through access to counsel. Here's a little more on how critical counsel can be to individuals and families across the country.
#SafeguardJustice in public defense: The vast majority of people in the United States see effective public defense services as a core component of public confidence in the fairness and integrity of our justice systems. Ensuring the right to counsel reduces expensive and unnecessary incarceration, mitigates racial disparities in justice system outcomes, and helps avoid the counterproductive collateral consequences of conviction, such as exclusion from employment or housing that would reduce chances of recidivism.

#SafeguardJustice in civil legal aid: Representation in civil matters provides access to services that meet basic human needs, resolves housing issues and removes barriers to employment, and helps our veterans with unique legal needs successfully transition to civilian life after serving our country. Access to legal counsel eliminates barriers to opportunity and family stability, making our communities safer and stronger.  

NLADA coordinates partners across the country to develop tools and resources, and build communities of practice that expand our community's impact in delivering on America's promise of equal justice. Earlier this month, the 2017 Equal Justice Conference, co-hosted by NLADA and the ABA's Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, brought together almost 1,000 members of the equal justice community - leaders and advocates in the judiciary, pro bono, civil legal aid, the self-represented litigants network, law schools, public interest organizations and more. For four days, this annual conference offered programming on best practices and networking to establish successful partnerships that provide a continuum of effective legal services and increase access to justice.

In June, NLADA will host our  Holistic Defense and Leadership Conferences in Baltimore. As you prepare for another round of innovative programming, we invite you to continue sharing your stories on social media about why access to counsel matters, using the hashtag #SafeguardJustice.

NLADA will continue to #SafeguardJustice by advocating for better policies and resources that make access to counsel - and access to justice - a reality for everyone. This #SafeguardJustice page features a small representative selection of the many resources NLADA has developed to support the critical work or equal justice advocates everywhere.

Stand with us! Share stories from your work on Facebook and Twitter, join our member community, or  donate to support this important work. Together, we can #SafeguardJustice.