Pro Bono Reflections – Ep. 6: Economic Justice

In the United States, the gap between rich and poor is the largest it’s been in decades. Systemic issues within our institutions and legal systems serve to exacerbate conditions that make it nearly impossible to bridge that gap. In Episode 6: Economic Justice, we take a look at three early cases from our Community Services Department.

The Honorable David Tatel and Allen Snyder, special counsel at the Children’s Law Center, join us to discuss a business boycott in Mississippi, which prompted an antitrust lawsuit that threatened the very existence of our client, the NAACP.
 
In the second segment of the episode, Mr. Snyder and The Honorable John Ferren recall the critical role we played in preserving the federal Community Action Program – a centerpiece of President Johnson’s War on Poverty to empower local residents to address pressing needs in their own communities.
 
Finally, Judges Ferren and Tatel remember undertaking the formidable task of getting the Legal Services Corporation up and running from scratch in just 90 days. Decades later, LSC remains a vital source of funding for nonprofit legal aid programs across the country.