Washington, DC – The National Legal Aid & Defender Association released the following statement in response to recent government actions against civil rights organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the importance of sustaining civil rights protections and access to justice for the communities we serve:
Civil rights protections help ensure that people can move through daily life without discrimination or unfair treatment. The organizations that uphold these protections also provide support in communities, helping people participate in civic life, access resources, respond to crises, and address injustice.
Organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center address hate, discrimination, and unfairness at a systemic level. Civil legal aid providers and public defenders also carry out that work at the individual level, helping people navigate systems, secure representation, and assert their rights.
These systems are often the first point of access to justice for people seeking to protect their homes, their families, or their freedom.
Sustaining this work helps ensure that access to justice remains within reach for the communities that depend on it.
For more information, please contact Rabiah Alicia Burks at [email protected].
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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is America's oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state, and local levels, playing a leadership role in the creation of public defender systems and other important institutions from The Sentencing Project to the Legal Services Corporation. A leader in the development of national standards for civil legal aid and public defense, NLADA also provides advocacy, training, and technical assistance for equal justice advocates across the country.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
