Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of The Legal Aid Society, recently joined the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Today podcast for a conversation on her career in public service, the work of The Legal Aid Society, and the challenges that continue to face low-income people.

Carter acknowledged that while progress has been made on some fronts, it is often tempered by attempts to roll back reforms and legislative victories. She discussed the merit in reaching across the aisle as a means of creating lasting change.

“This is about values,” she explained. “Reaching out to folks who might view the world differently than I do, to understand what those concerns are, so I can help them see a solution that doesn’t include, or exclusively include, incarceration, more surveillance, more oppression of communities.”

“All the studies, statistics, and history have shown that when we invest in our communities, people are successful and they thrive,” she continued.

Listen to the full segment below.