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CBA President James T. (Tim) Shearin provided opening remarks during the symposium.
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On March 21, the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA), Connecticut Bar Foundation (CBF), the James W. Cooper Fellows of the CBF, and the University of Connecticut School of Law hosted the symposium Justice for All: The Present and Future Impact of Legal Aid in Connecticut at William F. Starr Hall on the UConn School of Law campus. The symposium was held as a continuation of the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s 2014 symposium, Justice for All: The History and Future of Legal Aid in Connecticut. Over 100 attendees from the legal community attended this year’s symposium, including representatives of legal aid organizations, bar associations, law firms, and law schools.
In this year’s event, a series of panels were held that explored the progress made in addressing the civil access to justice gap in Connecticut since 2014 and the current efforts of Connecticut’s legal aid programs to advance access to justice, including the impact and outcomes achieved through Connecticut’s two current right to counsel programs. The symposium’s final panel considered the future of legal aid in Connecticut, including anticipated challenges, and opportunities for innovation and collaborative partnerships.
UConn School of Law Dean Eboni Nelson, Connecticut Bar Foundation President Hon. Victoria Chavey, and CBA President James T. (Tim) Shearin welcomed attendees with remarks highlighting the urgent need to close the civil justice gap. “I want to thank all of you for being on the frontlines of this work for decades,” stated Dean Nelson. “As legislators, jurists, attorneys, advocates, policymakers, leaders, and community members you have helped to ensure the most vulnerable among us have access to freedoms, rights, benefits, dignity, justice, and opportunity, all while preserving the rule of law which serves as the cornerstone of our democracy.” In his remarks, President Shearin asserted “If nothing else comes out of this program, and I suspect a lot will, I want you all to know that you have the support of the Foundation and the Bar Association and our respective members. We are there for you and we will continue to support your efforts.”
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The symposium’s first panel, “Civil Access to Justice in Connecticut: Where Have We Been, Where are We Now?” consisted of (From L to R) Moderator and Statewide Legal Services Director of Housing Advocacy Moses Beckett; Connecticut Supreme Court Justice and Chair of the Connecticut Judicial Branch Access to Justice Commission William H. Bright, Jr.; Connecticut Bar Foundation Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Ashleigh Backman; CBA President-Elect Emily Gianquinto; Connecticut Legal Services Litigation and Advocacy Director Nilda Havrilla; and Chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense Robert Weiner.
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The day began with the panel “Civil Access to Justice in Connecticut: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Now?”, moderated by Moses Beckett of Statewide Legal Services. The panel consisted of Connecticut Supreme Court Justice and Chair of the Connecticut Judicial Branch Access to Justice Commission William H. Bright, Jr.; Connecticut Bar Foundation Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Ashleigh Backman; CBA President-Elect Emily Gianquinto; Connecticut Legal Services Litigation and Advocacy Director Nilda Havrilla; and Chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense Robert Weiner. The panelists addressed lingering disparities in access to legal services and assessed how Connecticut compares to other states in providing civil legal representation to those in need. When asked how judicial innovations addressing access to justice over recent years have affected pro bono engagement through the CBA, President-Elect Gianquinto noted how the CBA has followed the court in adopting virtual platforms. “Our quarterly free legal advice clinics used to be in person,” stated President-Elect Gianquinto. “They are now by Zoom. We’re serving three times as many people and pretty much every quarter attendance increases."
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| The symposium's second panel, "Connecticut's Developing Right to Counsel Programs," included (From L to R) moderater and Connecticut Bar Foundation Executive Director Angela Schlingheyde, Connecticut Legal Services Managing Attorney Lorraine Carcova, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Director of Legal Advocacy Shauna Harrington, and New Haven Legal Assistance Association Executive Director Alexis Smith. |
The next panel of the symposium consisted of a discussion on Connecticut’s right-to-counsel initiatives. The panel, which featured Connecticut Legal Services Managing Attorney Lorraine Carcova, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Director of Legal Advocacy Shauna Harrington, and New Haven Legal Assistance Association Director Alexis Smith, explored the state’s eviction defense program and the expansion of legal services for domestic violence victims seeking restraining orders. Moderated by Angela Schlingheyde of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, the conversation highlighted how these programs have delivered tangible results for vulnerable residents while pointing to the need for their continued growth and expansion.
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| The luncheon panel "Perspectives from the Legislature" included (From L to R) moderator and Connecticut Legal Rights Project Legal Director Kirk Lowry and State Senators Stephen Harding and Matthew Lesser. |
The symposium’s luncheon panel brought in state lawmakers for a bipartisan dialogue on the legislature’s role in expanding access to justice. Connecticut State Senators Stephen Harding and Matthew Lesser shared personal experiences and policy perspectives on the barriers residents face when legal assistance is out of reach. Moderator Kirk Lowry of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project guided the discussion, asking the panelists about their views on practical legislative solutions to expand access to justice.
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| The symposium's final panel, "Legal Aid in the Future: Facing New Challenges, Promoting Innovation and Collaboration" consisted of moderator and CBA Executive Director Lina Lee, Greater Hartford Legal Aid Attorney Kelsey Bannon, Quinnipiac University School of Law Dean Brian Gallini, National Center for State Courts Court Management Consultant Aubrie Souza, and Connecticut Veterans Legal Center Executive Director Alison Weir. |
The final panel of the symposium, “Legal Aid in the Future,” looked ahead at challenges and expectations for civil legal access in Connecticut. The panel, moderated by Connecticut Bar Association Executive Director Lina Lee, included Greater Hartford Legal Aid Attorney Kelsey Bannon, Quinnipiac University School of Law Dean Brian Gallini, Court Management Consultant for the National Center for State Courts Aubrie Souza, and Connecticut Veterans Legal Center Executive Director Alison Weir. The panelists explored innovative approaches to legal aid being taken in other states, ways to increase law student engagement in addressing the civil access to justice gap, and technology-enhanced service models that widen public access.
Connecticut Legal Services Executive Director of Deborah Witkin provided the event’s closing remarks, thanking the attendees for their time and efforts focusing on this important cause. The Justice for All symposium reaffirmed the critical role that legal aid plays for Connecticut’s most vulnerable residents and reinforced the commitment of the participating legal organizations to bridging the access to justice gap.