Laura K. Abel is Acting Director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. A singular institution – part think tank, part public interest law...
Champions of Change: Leaders In Closing The Justice Gap
Millions of people in the United States cannot get legal help that is often critical to their wellbeing and freedom. Fifty million Americans qualify for federally-funded civil legal aid, yet more than half of those who seek help are turned away due to lack of resources. In the criminal justice system, public defenders handle caseloads that far exceed recommended limits, jeopardizing their ability to provide representation that meets even constitutionally minimum standards. These Champions of Change are assisting people in need by dedicating their professional lives to closing the justice gap in America. Watch the video of the event at the White House.
Martha Bergmark is the founding president/CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit, public interest law firm created in 2002 to advance racial and economic justice. The Center scored...
Todd Belcore is an Equal Justice Works Fellow (sponsored by Greenberg Traurig) at the Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law, focusing on litigating, organizing, educating, and crafting legislation...
Deb Ellis directs NYU School of Law’s Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and its Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship Program for students committed to public interest careers, and is herself an NYU Law...
A collaboration between the Brownsville Community Health Center and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the Medico-Legal Partnership RioGrande Valley is helping children and families in Brownsville, Texas...
Nan Heald has been the Executive Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance since 1990. Through the creative use of funding opportunities and other leveraged support, her leadership has enabled Pine...
Lillian Johnson serves as the Executive Director of Community Legal Services, Arizona’s largest nonprofit civil legal aid program, a position she has held since 1982 after relocating from the...
Until his retirement in June 2011, Addison was Co- Litigation Director of Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, Inc. (“AppalRed”) and Director of AppalRed’s Stop Foreclosure Clinic....
Professor Michael Pinard is the Director of the Clinical Law Program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, one of the top-rated clinical programs in the country. With his...
Deborah L. Rhode is the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and Director of the Stanford Center on the Legal Profession. She is the author of over 20 books and 200...
Thomas A. Saenz is the President and General Counsel of MALDEF, where he leads the civil rights organization's five offices in pursuing litigation, policy advocacy, and community education to...
Brad Smith is Microsoft's general counsel and executive vice president. He leads the company's Department of Legal and Corporate Affairs (LCA), which has just over 1,000 employees and is...
For the last 19 years, David has served as Executive Director of Equal Justice Works, the nation’s leading creator of public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers to help those in...
Jo-Ann Wallace is the President and CEO of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), the oldest and largest national membership organization devoting all of its resources to equal...
Ron J. Whitener graduated from the University of Washington Law School in 1994 and worked as a tribal attorney for the Squaxin Island Tribe (of which he is a member) representing the tribal...