Talk Justice, an LSC Podcast: John Grisham on Legal Aid
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WASHINGTON—Bestselling author John Grisham talks about his experiences as a lawyer and the importance of legal aid on the latest episode of LSC’s “Talk Justice” podcast, released today. ˶ (LSC) President Ron Flagg introduces Grisham’s speech, which was recorded at a recent LSC forum on access to justice.
Grisham is a dedicated supporter of legal aid. He serves on LSC’s Leaders Council, which works to raise public awareness of the current crisis in civil justice. He is also a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform, frequently speaking publicly about wrongful conviction and serving on the Board of Directors for both the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries. &Բ;
“I have a long affinity with legal aid,” Grisham said. “It goes back to when I finished law school at Ole Miss some 42 years ago—I inadvertently became a legal aid lawyer.”
Grisham had started his own law firm fresh out of law school and was struggling to build up clientele when a woman in tears found his office and asked for his help in court that day. She was going to be evicted from her mobile home, and she told Grisham all about the years of effort she put in to keeping up on payments as best she could, only to have it all be taken away. He went with her to court and ended up representing several of her neighbors in the trailer park. He got all of their evictions dismissed and soon became the community’s go-to pro bono attorney.
“That case proved to me the power of a license to practice law when it’s used to help people,” said Grisham.
“It’s astonishing what happens when you’re a lawyer and you take the case of a person who cannot afford to pay you, or somebody who’s not supposed to have a lawyer, and you pick up the phone or you show up in court with them and everything changes—the whole game changes—suddenly they have respect [and] they get a fair hearing,” he continued.
Talk Justice episodes are available and on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple and other popular podcast apps. The podcast is sponsored by LSC’s Leaders Council. The next episode of the podcast will examine the potential benefits and risks of generative AI for legal services.