Washington, DC, November 2, 2001 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2001 Mary Ellen Hamilton Award is the late Gladys Barnes of Gadsden, Alabama. The Mary Ellen Hamilton Award pays tribute biennially to a client who has provided extraordinary service or support to the delivery of legal services to the poor.

"During the time that I knew her, I appreciated her dedication to equal justice and experienced her compassion, faith and caring," said Harrison McIver, executive director of The Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. "Ms. Barnes' commitment to those she served knew no bounds. Gadsden, Alabama, became her retirement home. However, her version of retirement was busier than the work schedules most of us endure."

Nationally, Barnes was a member of NLADA board of directors and prior to that on the board of the Project Advisory Group (PAG). In addition to her service with NLADA and PAG, she continued actively serving at the local and state levels working closely with both the Gadsden, Alabama Clients’ Council and the Alabama Clients’ Council. She was also very involved with the Region VI Clients’ Council. Barnes served as the executive director of the Gadsden/Etowah County Housing Council of the Community Housing Resources Board – as a volunteer. She also ran for city council.

In her various leadership capacities, Barnes provided experience and leadership that unified the communities she represented and assured that their voices were heard.

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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoting all of its resources to advocating equal access to justice for all Americans. NLADA champions effective legal assistance for people who cannot afford counsel, serves as a collective voice for both civil legal services and public defense services throughout the nation and provides a wide range of services and benefits to its individual and organizational members.