John Levi Addresses ABA House of Delegates 2026

Transcript

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and what a special escort! It is always a privilege for me to address this historic house; and I particularly would like to recognize our distinguished LSC board members and ABA leaders, Robert Grey and Frank Neuner who are here today.

On behalf of LSC’s Board, staff and 129 grantees, covering the entire country, you have our gratitude for the ABA’s unwavering support of LSC.

It was Lewis Powell who in 1964 during his ABA presidency, argued for the founding of LSC, proclaiming that there should be nothing discretionary about equal access to justice rather, it is one of the “guiding principles of our democracy”. For the last 52 years, the ABA has remained LSC’s most vital partner.

Thank you to Michelle Behnke for her inspired leadership this year. We were honored to have Michelle launch our Rural Justice Task Force report in Madison, and speak in Washington at our spring meeting.

Congratulations to incoming President Barbara Howard. We look forward to working with you.

LSC and the ABA are brought together by a shared commitment to our nation’s foundational promise of “equal justice,” and the responsibility it places on our profession to uphold this promise. Sadly, we are falling short.

All of us here are aware of our nations’ immense justice gap – that 92% of the civil legal problems faced by low-income Americans go with no or inadequate assistance – and that 75% of the civil cases in our state courts, at least one party lacks counsel.

Recognizing the magnitude of this crisis, LSC’s Board has urged Congress to provide $2 billion in annual funding for our grantees.

At $540 million, LSC’s funding remains far below what is needed to close this gap and this crisis occurs even as we have demonstrated a positive return to the community of seven dollars for every dollar spent on civil legal aid.

LSC’s grantees lead the profession in the uses of AI, other emerging technologies and innovative practices to help serve a population that includes many seniors, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and people affected by natural disasters. Despite the heroic efforts of these grantees, we are leaving far too many to fend for themselves.

As the then Chief Justice of Texas, Nathan Hecht, powerfully testified to Congress just two years ago, “Justice for only those who can afford it, is neither justice for all, nor justice at all…For many Americans, the justice system is too expensive, too hard to navigate, too far removed from real people. The justice gap can be bridged with adequate funding, innovation and public commitment…The integrity of the rule of law is at stake.”

This year, we know that more than 100 Members of Congress will not be returning. Many are longtime champions of civil legal aid.

We will very much need your determined help to educate the many new Members of Congress taking their seats about the vital importance of funding civil legal aid.

On ABA Day in DC – and every day – you are LSC’s indispensable partners. So please mark your calendars for ABA day this coming April. Your voices, relationships and advocacy make a real difference!

The task before us is large but as we recall the admonition of the great Judge Learned Hand who at the 75th anniversary of the New York’s Legal Aid Society in 1951 forcefully proclaimed: “If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shall not ration justice,” we here understand its importance in our country’s 250th year, let’s redouble our efforts and help America fulfill its promise of equal justice!

Thank you for your tireless support.