On Monday, December 2^nd, The Legal Aid Society was pleased to host American Bar Association President, Judy Perry Martinez, for a visit with staff from all of Legal Aid’s three practices – Criminal Defense, Civil, and Juvenile Rights – as well as its administrative departments.

Following an introduction from Janet Sabel, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of Legal Aid, Ms. Martinez spoke candidly about her experience as an attorney, as a pro bono volunteer at the southern border, and about the importance of civil legal services work as a means for lifting individuals out of poverty.

The morning’s event concluded with a panel presentation featuring Legal Aid Society staff from all three practices who spoke about the nature of their work, their experience and its importance to our client community as a resource. Each member of the panel described their work as part of an organization wide commitment to forward thinking and holistic representation, where the needs of the clients – as well as their families – are considered as part of a shared responsibility to care for our neighbors and the communities in which we live and work.

As the oldest and largest public defender organization in the country, The Legal Aid Society has had a longstanding relationship with the ABA and staff frequently receive ABA awards for their accomplishments. Just last year, Legal Aid’s Decarceration Project – a bail project which was formed in 2016 with the goal of reducing unnecessary pretrial incarceration through direct advocacy, impact litigation, and legislative advocacy – was recognized by the ABA for Exemplary Defense. ABA has also recognized Legal Aid’s Cop Accountability Project and CAPstat database for groundbreaking work.