Why We Do What We Do
By the turn of the last century, broad segments of the legal community had begun to understand that the ever-widening gulf between the legal profession and underrepresented communities threatened to undermine fundamental American democratic principles. Access to legal services in low income and communities of color had reached crisis level lows that was likely to worsen unless deliberate efforts were undertaken to reverse course. Against this backdrop, the legal profession galvanized an urgent response from all sectors of the legal profession to provide more pro bono services in underserved communities.
Decades later, it remains clear that this important work is unfinished. Insufficient access to legal services in historically underserved communities continues to hamper full participation in American society and impedes our nation’s guarantee of fair treatment for all under the law. For this reason, LFOA continues to provide access to free legal services to communities and individuals historically excluded from such assistance.