Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Attorney General Merrick Garland, John Grisham to Join LSC to Celebrate 50th Anniversary at DC Gala
WASHINGTON–Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Attorney General Merrick Garland, and renowned author and lawyer John Grisham are set to join various state and federal government leaders and prominent advocates for access to justice at the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) commemoration of its 50th anniversary on Tuesday, April 9, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The day’s activities include a luncheon, afternoon forums focusing on narrowing the justice gap, and a 50th Anniversary Gala.
As the largest provider of funding for civil legal aid for low-income Americans, LSC was established by Congress in 1974 with the mandate to promote equal access to justice across the nation and deliver high-quality civil legal assistance to those in need. To honor this significant milestone, LSC’s gala and events will embrace the theme of its 50th anniversary outreach campaign, “Protecting the Promise.”
Among the additional speakers slated to participate in the events are Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), American Bar Association President Mary Smith, former White House Counsel and Locke Lorde LLP Partner Harriet Miers, Judge Lora Livingston, former Congressman and United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joe Kennedy, Executive Chairman of Merck Ken Frazier, Microsoft President Brad Smith, LSC President Emeritus Jim Sandman, LSC Board Chair John Levi, and LSC President Ron Flagg. Pre-recorded remarks will be shared from Senator John Cornyn (TX) and Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-6).
“This year, and every year, LSC remains dedicated to raising awareness about inequities in access to justice, advocating for solutions to bridge the justice gap, and supporting our grantee legal aid organizations as they tirelessly provide comprehensive civil legal services to their communities,” said LSC President Ron Flagg.“It is a privilege to have esteemed bipartisan national leaders join us in commemorating our significant 50th anniversary milestone and the ongoing fulfillment of our crucial mission,” Flagg added.
Annually, LSC allocates funding to over 131 independent nonprofit legal aid programs, with more than 800 offices nationwide, providing civil legal services across all U.S. states and territories. However, resources fall short of meeting the majority of legal needs experienced by low-income Americans. LSC’s 2022 Justice Gap report revealed the severity of this justice gap, indicating that low-income Americans received no or inadequate legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems. Due to insufficient resources, LSC-funded legal aid programs must reject half of the eligible requests for legal assistance.
The events on April 9 are open to the press and will take place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 25000 Calvert Street NW. Press attendance requires registration via email to rauscherc@lsc.gov. The event schedule is subject to change until the time of the event. Additionally, the luncheon and forum will be livestreamed on LSC’s Facebook page.
