WASHINGTON, DC, September 16, 2003 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is hosting its 2003 Annual Conference at the Westin Seattle in Seattle, Washington, November 12-15. This year's theme, United in the Promise of Justice, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark right-to-counsel case – Gideon v. Wainwright.

NLADA's Annual Conference is the leading national training event of the year for public defenders and legal aid advocates. The goal of this gathering is to offer the latest knowledge and professional skills to creatively and effectively provide equal access to the justice system for low-income people. The conference also provides equal justice advocates with opportunities to network with colleagues from across the country and to fulfill continuing legal education requirements.

“Every year NLADA hosts this spectacular event,” said Clint Lyons, NLADA president & CEO. “And, every year the program design and sessions provided get more substantive and inspiring. This is an event that all equal justice advocates working in the civil legal aid and public defense arenas should attend.”

In addition, 2003 marks the 40th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon, guaranteeing the right to counsel to those accused of crimes. Although four decades have passed since this decision, many challenges remain to make equal justice a reality in this nation. In meeting those challenges NLADA's members serve as an effective voice for the voiceless, working tirelessly to increase and expand effective legal assistance in both criminal and civil matters to millions of low-income men, women and children.

Recognizing that there is no similar right to counsel in civil matters, NLADA's 2003 Annual Conference seeks to bridge the gap between defenders and legal aid advocates to explore this crucial issue and to encourage collaboration in other areas where the respective needs of our clients intersect. Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander is the keynote speaker for the Opening Assembly. Alexander is a long-time supporter and advocate on behalf of the equal justice community. In fact, Alexander is revered for his unfaltering support for legal aid when the Washington state legislature threatened to cut funding by 50 percent. He advocated tirelessly on behalf of the legal aid community by writing articles and testifying before lawmakers to restore the legal aid budget. In addition, he asked for the expansion of the Gideon holding to apply to the civil legal aid community.

The conference kicks-off on Wednesday, November 12 and concludes on Saturday, November 15. Attendees will have an opportunity to attend various civil, defender and joint-track sessions and participate in conference-planned receptions to maximize networking opportunities. In addition, there are five NLADA Partnership Programs scheduled before the conference, Tuesday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 12; with one on Friday, November 14.

For more information on the 2003 Annual Conference, visit www.nlada.org/Training or contact NLADA at (202) 452-0620.

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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.