John Grisham, Ken Frazier, and David Rubenstein Join Leaders from Business and Legal Communities at Access to Justice Forum

WASHINGTON – Best-selling author John Grisham, Merck Chair and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier, and The Carlyle Group Co-Founder David Rubenstein will be among the leaders from the business and legal communities gathering at Georgetown University Law Center on Tuesday, April 10, for the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) annual Forum on Increasing Access to Justice. LSC is hosting the event in conjunction with its Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting.

Grisham, American Bar President Hilarie Bass, Georgetown Law Vice Dean Jane H. Aiken, and LSC Board Chair John G. Levi will deliver remarks.

Levi will announce the launch of a new national LSC task force on legal aid and the opioid crisis and showcase LSC’s recently launched task force on disaster response.

The forum will feature four panels. The first, “Natural Disasters, Legal Aid, and the Justice System,” will highlight legal aid’s importance to disaster relief. The panelists will include jurists and legal aid providers from states affected by recent hurricanes and wildfires.

Two experts on “Online Innovations to Meet the Needs of the 21st Century Legal Aid Client” will explore how technology is expanding access to justice for low-income Americans.

Chief justices from two states, a family court judge, and legal aid leaders will serve as panelists for the third panel, “Access to Justice and the Opioid Epidemic.” They will discuss the numerous civil legal issues raised by the opioid crisis in areas such as family law, domestic violence, child and elder abuse, and housing. 

Frazier and Rubenstein will be among the panelists for the final discussion, “Perspectives on Access to Justice from the Business Community,” which will explore why American businesses depend on a justice system where consumers, employees, and employers can access their legal rights and protections. The other panelists are Brett J. Hart, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel, United Airlines, Inc.; Susan C. Levy, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Northern Trust Corporation; and John F. Schultz, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The Forum on Increasing Access to Justice will take place at Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Avenue NW, on April 10, from 2 to 5 p.m. EDT. Members of the press are invited to attend.

The forum will also be livestreamed via Facebook Live. To view the briefing, visit LSC’s Facebook page during the event.

See below for a complete list of speakers. 

Remarks

Vice Dean Jane H. Aiken, Georgetown University Law Center
Hilarie Bass, President, American Bar Association & Co-President, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
John Grisham, Author
John G. Levi, Chairman, Board of Directors, Legal Services Corporation & Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Natural Disasters, Legal Aid, and the Justice System

Saundra J. Brown, Directing Attorney of Disaster Legal Services, Lone Star Legal Aid
The Honorable Jorge Labarga, Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court
The Honorable Robert K. Schaffer, Judge, Texas 152nd Civil District Court
Laura Tuggle, Executive Director, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
The Honorable Laurie D. Zelon, Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second District

Moderator: The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Of Counsel, Latham & Watkins LLP & Former Chief Judge of New York

Online Innovations to Meet the Needs of the 21st Century Legal Aid Client

Ilenia Sanchez-Bryson, Chief Information Officer, Greater Miami Legal Services
Angela Tripp, Director, Michigan Legal Help & Technology Grants Manager, Michigan Advocacy Program

Moderator: James J. Sandman, President, Legal Services Corporation

Access to Justice and the Opioid Epidemic

Jay Chaudhary, Managing Attorney and Director of Medical Legal Partnerships, Indiana Legal Services
Stephanie W. Harris, Development Director, Ohio State Legal Services Association
The Honorable Patricia A. Keller, Judge, West Virginia Sixth Circuit Family Court
The Honorable Paul L. Reiber, Chief Justice, Vermont Supreme Court
The Honorable Loretta H. Rush, Chief Justice, Indiana Supreme Court

Moderator: Ronald S. Flagg, Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel, and Corporate 
Secretary, Legal Services Corporation

Perspectives on Access to Justice from the Business Community

Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Merck & Co., Inc. & Co-Chair, LSC Leaders Council
Brett J. Hart, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel, United Airlines, Inc.
Susan C. Levy, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Northern Trust Corporation
David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman, The Carlyle Group
John F. Schultz, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Moderator:
Professor Martha Minow, Harvard Law School & Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Legal Services Corporation

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974. For 50 years, LSC has provided financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 131 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.