Announcing 2020 Kutak-Dodds Prize Winners
This year's Kutak-Dodds Prizes winners are Adeola Ogunkeyede, Chief Public Defender for Travis County, Texas and Jennifer Bias, Trial Division Director at the Wisconsin State Public Defender's office.
Ms. Ogunkeyede and Ms. Bias will be recognized for their achievements at our annual Exemplar Awards Event on September 16.
The Kutak-Dodds Prizes, jointly sponsored by the Robert J. Kutak Foundation and NLADA, honor the accomplishments of civil legal aid attorneys, public defenders, assigned counsel or public interest lawyers who – through the practice of law – are contributing significantly to the enhancement of human dignity and quality of life for those individuals who are unable to afford legal representation.
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Ms. Ogunkeyede recently became the first-ever Chief Public Defender for Travis County, Texas, where she is tasked with building a holistic public defender’s office from the ground up. Through a genuine commitment to bridging the gap between civil and criminal legal systems and to ensuring that community lawyering and racial justice are at the core of her work, Adeola's impact is truly transformative. Learn more here.
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Ms. Bias is the Wisconsin State Public Defenders (SPD) Trial Division Director. For more than 30 years, Jennifer has been a powerful voice on behalf of her clients throughout Wisconsin. Her efforts have expanded access to attorneys and increased training to ensure quality representation for public defenders and the private bar. Learn more about Jennifer and her work here.
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Beacon of Justice Award Winners Announced
NLADA is proud to announce our 2020 Beacon of Justice awardees. This year's awardees were chosen because of their commitment to uphold the rule of law and safeguard the legal rights of migrants seeking asylum along the U.S. southern border.
Join us in congratulating: Akin Gump, Arent Fox, Cravath, DLA Piper, Dorsey, Epstein Becker Green, Gibson Dunn, Katten, Kirkland & Ellis, Lowenstein Sandler, Mintz, Forrison Foerster, O'Melveny, Orrick, Ropes & Gray, Steptoe and Stinson for their work.
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Join Us NEXT WEEK at the
Equal Justice Virtual Conference
Time is winding down. Just next week, NLADA and ABA will host the 2020 Equal Justice Virtual Conference, from August 11 – 13. Registration is still open, and we hope that you will be able to join us online. EJC is a great opportunity to learn from and participate in enriching workshops as well as earn your CLE credits.
The webinar series has several relevant workshops that will give you the right tools to address systemic racism, deliver excellent service during the pandemic and much more. You will also have a chance to experience the keynote address by Andrea Young, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
We look forward to seeing you next week!
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Thank You for a Successful Virtual Conference!
Thank you to everyone who joined us online July 14 - 16 for our inaugural virtual conference, the 2020 Holistic Defense and Leadership Conferences. More than 700 people attended the three days of educational and inspirational presentations.
Special thank yous go to Jonathan Rapping, Founder of Gideon's Promise, for delivering an inspirational keynote at our opening plenary for the COD Network Conference; Ronald Simpson-Bey, NLADA Board Member and Director of Outreach at JustLeadership USA, for closing out COD and reminding us exactly why humanity is the key to achieving justice for all; Jeffery Robinson, for his powerful keynote at the opening plenary for the BPDA Conference and Keir Bradford-Grey, NLADA Board Member and Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia and Michael White, her former client, for reminding us how important building authentic and trusted relationships is to achieving effective representation and best outcomes for clients.
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Heading Back to the Office and Working Through a Pandemic
Last month, NLADA partnered with the firm of Akin Gump to host a webinar to provide members with a framework for consideration as we evaluate and plan how to safely return to our offices, resume our normal business practice and prepare to meet the increased need for services, while safeguarding the well-being of our clients and staff.
If you did not get a chance to join us last month and are a member of NLADA, a recording of the presentation and the accompanying slideshow is available on our website. Click here to access it.
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House Appropriations Committee Approves
CJS Package
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved an appropriations package for the 2021 Fiscal Year that includes an increase of $25 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), roughly six percent higher than its current $440 million budget.
In June, more than 200 corporate counsel leaders stated their strong support for this increase in a letter to Members of Congress. In the letter, they argued that "Strong support for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) will enhance the ability of civil legal aid organizations to respond to the widespread economic, social and health-based hardship this pandemic is likely to cause.” Read the full letter and list of signatories here.
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Making a Difference in the Community
Sue Lau currently serves as a member of NLADA’s Client Council, volunteering additionally on the Board’s Member Services and its Policy and Regulations Committees. She also headed the Client Council’s Client Bill of Rights Ad Hoc Committee efforts, which were funded by a Ford Foundation grant. Before her work with NLADA, Ms. Lau was a member of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County's Board of Directors for 20 years and is the chair and co-chair of its Governance, Audit and Lawyers Referral Service Committees.
She has been truly dedicated to improving the quality of life for society’s most vulnerable, especially the homeless, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities. We at NLADA applaud this champion for her efforts.
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NLADA's COVID-19
Resource Center
As states lift restrictions and places begin to open up, it is important now more than ever to stay informed. That is why we are continuing to provide the most pertinent and up-to-date information regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic.
NLADA's Resource Center provides information by issues most relevant to our members. Access the latest information here.
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Litigation & Advocacy Leaders Conference Update
The in-person Litigation & Advocacy Leaders Conference has been postponed until July 17-20, 2021 in Charleston, SC.
We will continue to provide updates as our plans develop over the coming months.
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Upcoming Webinars
Increase your expertise with these upcoming webinars:
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Member's Corner
Partnership with Mutual of America
Mutual of America is NLADA’s endorsed partner for group retirement plan products and related services. We are excited to announce that effective October 1, 2020, NLADA members will receive additional price reductions – on top of already great savings, including waived administrative fees. Both programs with existing Mutual of America accounts, as well as new clients are eligible for this enhanced offer. We believe that everyone dedicating their careers to equal justice for all deserves to retire with dignity, and to that end, we recommend Mutual of America.
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