Talk Justice: Episode 126
April 14, 2026
Holocaust Survivor, Civil Rights Lawyer, Legal Aid Pioneer John Rosenberg Tells His Story
Holocaust survivor and longtime leader of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky (AppalRed), John Rosenberg, joins Talk Justice this week. LSC President Ron Flagg speaks with Rosenberg about his memories of Nazi Germany, becoming a lawyer in the United States, working for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and eventually earning the trust of his Eastern Kentucky community. Rosenberg’s legal services work spanned almost three decades and impacted countless coal miners and Appalachian families.
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Featured Guest
John M. Rosenberg
John M. Rosenberg was the Director of Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, Inc. (AppalReD), since it first received funding from the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1970. He held the directors position for over twenty-eight years before retiring. Prior to his career at AppalRed Legal Aid, John served for eight years as a trial attorney and Section Chief in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice from 1962 – 1970, litigating discrimination cases primarily in the deep south. John’s area’s of practice have been primarily those of environmental law, and representation of the elderly. He has authored a number of articles on these matters...
Host
Ronald S. Flagg
Ronald S. Flagg was appointed President of the Legal Services Corporation effective February 20, 2020, and previously served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel since 2013. He previously practiced commercial and administrative litigation at Sidley Austin LLP for 31 years, 27 years as a partner. He chaired the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for more than a decade.