The University of Akron School of Law and the Miller-Becker Center (MBC) for Professional Responsibility are pleased to invite you to attend a reception for special guest speaker, James Sandman, the President of the Legal Services Corporation, in Washington, D.C. President Sandman is a nationally recognized expert concerning the nation’s “access to justice” challenges, a topic addressed in previous MBC programs.
The reception will take place on Tuesday, November 15, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Akron Law, room 161.
President Sandman’s presentation, “An American Paradox: How the Legal System Really Functions Today in a Nation That Espoused Justice for All” begins at 5:30 p.m. He will be introduced by Professor Brant Lee, the Director of Diversity and Social Justice Initiatives, who is spearheading President Sandman’s visit. Below is a description of President Sandman’s presentation:
The concept of equal access to justice is deeply embedded in our national values. It is reflected in the closing words of the Pledge of Allegiance and in the inscription on the pediment of the Supreme Court building. Yet every day across America, tens of thousands of people walk into courtrooms alone, without a lawyer, because they cannot afford to pay for one and have no constitutional right to a lawyer in civil matters. Their cases involve matters of safety, subsistence, and family stability – evictions, foreclosures, child custody and support, and domestic violence. They confront a complicated legal system built largely by lawyers for lawyers – an adversary system based on the assumption that you do have a lawyer. Their chances of a fair shot at justice are slim, especially if their opponent is represented by counsel. Mr. Sandman will explain the facts underlying this American paradox and offer suggestions for making our country’s promise of “justice for all” real.
Please RSVP to Shannon Aupperle at sfauppe@uakron.edu or 330-972-7988.