Legal Services Corporation 50th Anniversary Gala - Remarks from Attorney General Merrick Garland

United States Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Attorney General Merrick Garland, and others joined leaders from 130 organizations funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and other advocates for access to justice at a gala celebrating LSC’s 50th Anniversary. The dinner at the Omni Shoreham brought together the nation’s foremost justice leaders, who spoke of their belief in the rule of law, but also underscored that the American ideal of equal justice under the law has not yet been realized for low-income Americans. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was introduced by Director of the Office for Access to Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice Rachel Rossi, emphasized the urgency of improving access to justice. “We gather at a time when protecting the rule of law is as urgent as it has ever been. Public faith in the rule of law depends in no small part on public faith that our system will ensure equal justice under law—and that faith in turn depends on there being equal access to justice,” said Garland. “Equal access to justice in turn depends on the work and expertise of LSC and its grantees—the thousands of professionals who do the difficult and demanding work of providing legal services to those in need,” Garland continued. “Too many Americans still cannot afford legal services, and for too many Americans, not being able to afford a lawyer means the difference between providing for their families or losing their jobs, having a roof over their head or losing their home, putting food on the table or going hungry.”