A key part of NLADA's leadership comes from people from across the equal justice community, who contribute their time and expertise to helping establish the organization's direction. These contributions come from:
- Board of Directors -- nearly two dozen leaders, including civil legal aid attorneys, public defenders, and clients of legal aid and defenders who work together to build NLADA's impact. Board members formulate policy, provide oversight, determine strategy, develop resources, and represent the organization.
- Civil, Client, and Defender Councils -- These three bodies help develop programs and policies that support our members. Created by the NLADA bylaws for the purpose of making policy recommendations to the board of directors in area of expertise and concern and meeting three times per year, each group is composed of representatives elected by their peers.