Preparing for 2021 and Beyond: The Outlook for Public Interest Lawyers and Advocacy

This year has seen systemic issues of race, rights, and access to justice brought to light in new ways through the lens of a global pandemic and a politically divided nation, and attorneys with LSC-funded legal aid programs have been on the frontlines of many of these challenges. This is a forward-thinking discussion on what 2021 holds for you, your civil legal aid practice, and your clients, as well as how the ABA advocates on behalf of LSC programs and the issues you care about, and how you can get connected and make an impact.

Panelists discuss:

• How legal aid lawyers can make impactful change in the race equity arena
• The impact of the pandemic and the election on civil legal aid and public defender funding
• How to engage pro bono resources to meet your clients' unmet legal needs
• The state of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• How to lend your voice to national advocacy efforts
• ABA resources and opportunities to support your work and career in legal aid

Remarks

• Patricia Lee Refo, President, American Bar Association; Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP
• Ronald S. Flagg, President, General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs, Legal Services Corporation

Panelists

• Hon. Adrienne Nelson, Justice, Oregon Supreme Court; Chair, ABA Diversity and Inclusion Center and Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council
• David Carroll, Executive Director, Sixth Amendment Center
• April Faith-Slaker, Associate Director of Research Innovations, Access to Justice Lab, Harvard Law School; Consultant, ABA Access to Justice Resource Center
• Jaime Hawk, Legal Strategy Director, WA Campaign for Smart Justice, ACLU of Washington; Co-Chair, Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Committee, ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice
• Radhika Singh, Chief, Civil Legal Services, National Legal Aid & Defender Association; National Legal Aid & Defender Association Liaison to the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense

Moderator

• Brendon Woods, Public Defender of Alameda County, California
  

Joint Sponsors: ABA Center for Pro Bono, ABA Center for Public Interest Law, ABA Diversity and Inclusion Center, ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division, ABA Law Student Division, ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense, ABA Young Lawyers Division

Resources

Presentations: April Faith-Slaker, Jaime Hawk, Radhika Singh

Transcript: Preparing for 2021 and Beyond: The Outlook for Public Interest Lawyers and Advocacy

Oregon Judicial Department Implicit Bias Training

Frequently Asked Questions about Indigent Defense Funding

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Racial Equity in the Justice System

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion CLEs

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