Legal Services Corporation (LSC) hosted a forum on increasing access to justice on Monday, March 27 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.
Distinguished national leaders shared remarks, including Sen. Ben Cardin (MD); Sen. Chris Murphy (CT); Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5); Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-8); bestselling novelist, John Grisham; Director of the Office for Access to Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice, Rachel Rossi; American Bar Association President, Deborah Enix-Ross; and LSC Board Chairman and Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John G. Levi. The speakers addressed the devastating impact of the justice gap on low-income Americans and efforts to increase access to justice through policy and resources for civil legal aid.
LSC’s 2022 Justice Gap report—which details the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs—found a staggering deficit. Low-income Americans received no or insufficient legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems. Nationally, 74% of low-income households faced at least one civil legal problem—an increase from pre-pandemic numbers.
John G. Levi was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation by President Barack Obama on August 6, 2009, and his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 19, 2010. He was elected Chairman of the LSC Board by his fellow Board members on April 7, 2010 and his re-nomination was confirmed by the Senate in December of 2014.
