The ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense
& The National Legal Aid and Defender Association
Congratulate the Winner of the 2024 Harrison Tweed Award!
The Bar Association of San Francisco
The Bar Association of San Francisco is recognized with the 2024 Harrison Tweed Award for the work done by its Legal Assistance and Referral Clinic (LARC) program. Though begun in 1978, the LARCs have seen incredible growth over the past two years and have empowered thousands of under-resourced members of the San Francisco community for decades. These innovative clinics are held with the client in mind, when working people can attend, with appointment and drop-in options available. The legal challenges LARC clients face are broad, ranging from routine family law motions to supporting monolingual small landlords who depend on the income from renting a single room. Most areas of law covered by LARCs involve employment, housing, family, immigration, and bankruptcy law. The LARCs are held in three different neighborhoods with historically distinct groups who have called these neighborhoods home for decades and more. The extensive impact of the LARCs is fueled by 95 volunteers, including attorneys, interpreters, and intake specialists, all of whom contributed 1,180 hours in 2023. Four staff members spend 113 hours coordinating clinics with partners and volunteers every month. Thanks to the hard work of LARC staff, there has been a 220 percent growth in total consultations between 2022 and 2023. This significant increase in service level means more people obtaining services in their neighborhoods at times they can attend and in languages they can understand. The result is more people believing they can trust lawyers and the legal system, being empowered, and finding justice in our society.
To view the Bar Association of San Francisco nomination, click here.