Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Aid topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director urges expanded pro bono, private-bar involvement to close 'justice gap'
Summary
A program director said pro bono lawyers and greater private-bar engagement are essential to closing a persistent justice gap that leaves many people without legal help, citing foreclosures and family-law needs as examples and expressing pride in program work.
A Director said pro bono services and greater involvement by the private bar are crucial to closing the community’s growing "justice gap." “And I think pro bono helped,” the Director said, arguing the private bar has become more engaged in recent years.
The Director told attendees the region still has "a large number of people who don't get help," saying some people—such as households facing foreclosure or families in legal distress—do receive assistance, but many other needs go unmet. “Those folks are gonna get still get help, But there are lots of situations where we can't get help,” the Director said.
The speaker credited program efforts and partnerships with improving access, saying staff and project directors have made progress at “involving the private bar” and emphasizing that pro bono should be part of how legal services identify themselves. The Director said they were proud of what their program and other programs have done and expressed a desire to remain involved: “I’m still hope I’m still a part of it.”
No formal action or vote was recorded in the transcript; the remarks were a presentation of experience and a call for continued engagement by private attorneys and pro bono volunteers.
