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Members of Congress, business leaders, distinguished jurists, and members of the legal aid community will gather at Georgetown University Law Center on Tuesday, April 9, for the Forum on Increasing Access to Justice. The ���˶��� (LSC) is hosting the event in conjunction with its Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting.

Rep. Susan W. Brooks (IN-5) and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-4), co-founders of the bipartisan Congressional Access to Legal Services Caucus, will deliver remarks. They will be joined by ABA President Robert Carlson, LSC Board Chair John G. Levi, and Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor. Senator Daniel S. Sullivan (AK) will also take part in a panel on legal aid’s role in helping survivors of domestic violence.

Earlier in the day, attendees will gather for a luncheon celebrating LSC’s 45th Anniversary. Judge David S. Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and LSC Board Chair John G. Levi will deliver opening remarks. Texas Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht and Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush will share updates on the work of LSC’s task forces on natural disasters and the opioid crisis. Finally, LSC Leaders Council Co-Chair Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co., Inc.; David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group; and Amazon Inc. General Counsel David Zapolsky will join LSC President Jim Sandman for a discussion on the importance of legal aid to American business.

The forum will include three panels and brief technology presentations. The first panel, “Partnerships to Address the Needs of Low-Income Individuals in Housing Court,” will examine the impact on individuals and on the judiciary when tenants face eviction without access to legal counsel. The panelists will share successful approaches to addressing the legal needs of low-income tenants and how law firms and legal services organizations can help. Former Chief Judge of New York Jonathan J. Lippman will moderate the discussion.

The second panel, “Ensuring Access to Justice for Self-Represented Litigants,” will explore ways that technology and the judiciary can best support individuals navigating the legal system without full representation from an attorney. The panelists include Vermont Chief Justice Paul L. Reiber and experts in the delivery of legal services.  

Following these panels, “Rapid Fire Tech Talks” will feature brief presentations on the ways that technology can expand access to justice for low-income Americans.

The final panel, “Legal Aid Collaborations to Help Survivors of Domestic Violence,” will highlight the vital role legal aid plays in responding to domestic violence. Senator Sullivan will be joined on the panel by legal services leaders and Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

The anniversary luncheon will take place at Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue NW, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT. The Forum on Increasing Access to Justice will be held afterwards at Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Avenue NW, from 2-5:00 p.m. EDT. Members of the press are invited to attend both events.

See below for a complete list of speakers:

LSC 45th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

Luncheon

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. · Washington Court Hotel (525 New Jersey Avenue NW)

Remarks
John G. Levi, Board Chairman, ���˶��� & Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
Judge David S. Tatel, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Update on LSC’s Disaster Task Force
Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, Supreme Court of Texas

Update on LSC’s Opioid Task Force
Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush, Indiana Supreme Court

Discussion: The Importance of Legal Aid to American Business
Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Merck & Co., Inc. & Co-Chair, LSC Leaders Council
David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman, The Carlyle Group
James J. Sandman, President, ���˶���
David A. Zapolsky, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, Amazon.com, Inc.

Forum on Increasing Access to Justice

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. · Georgetown University Law Center (600 New Jersey Avenue NW)

Remarks
Dean William M. Treanor, Georgetown University Law Center
U.S. Representative Susan W. Brooks (IN-05)
U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy, III (MA-04)

Panel: Partnerships to Address the Needs of Low-Income Individuals in Housing Court
Joanna Allison, Executive Director, Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association
Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins, Tennessee Supreme Court
Dawn Caldart, Director, Pro Bono and Professional Development, Quarles & Brady LLP
Kathleen E. McGrath, Assistant Vice President and Senior Corporate Counsel, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
Maggie Niebler-Brown, Volunteer Lawyers Project Director, Legal Action of Wisconsin
Moderator: Judge Jonathan J. Lippman, Of Counsel, Latham & Watkins LLP & Former Chief Judge of New York

Panel: Ensuring Access to Justice for Self-Represented Litigants
Katherine Alteneder, Executive Director, Self-Represented Litigation Network
Margaret Hagan, Director, Legal Design Lab, Stanford Law School
Bonnie Rose Hough, Principal Managing Attorney, Center for Families, Children, and the Courts, Judicial Council of California
Chief Justice Paul L. Reiber, Vermont Supreme Court
Moderator: Father Pius Pietrzyk, Board Member, ���˶��� & Chairman, Department of Pastoral Studies, St. Patrick’s Seminary

Rapid Fire Tech Talks
Steven McGarrity, Executive Director, Community Legal Aid Services
Rohan Pavuluri, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Upsolve
Kristen Sonday, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Paladin & Co-Chair, LSC Emerging Leaders Council

Panel: Legal Aid Collaborations to Help Survivors of Domestic Violence
Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Nikole Nelson, Executive Director, Alaska ���˶���
Katherine W. Shank, Deputy Director, LAF Chicago
Senator Daniel S. Sullivan (AK)
Gary Wachtel, Senior Director, Law, Discover Financial Services, Inc.
Moderator: James J. Sandman, President, ���˶���

Closing Remarks
Robert Carlson, President, American Bar Association & Shareholder, Corette Black Carlson & Mickelson, P.C.