Today, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, White House Counsel Dana Remus, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta convened the first listening session of the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (WH-LAIR). They were joined by five panelists and 33 administration officials to discuss access to justice challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, Mr. Emhoff, Ms. Remus, and Ms. Gupta discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing work to address some of the most pressing challenges posed by the pandemic, including the Administration’s recent actions to prevent evictions. They also re-affirmed the Administration’s commitment to working with direct legal service providers to expand access to legal representation and the courts, and to ensure that federal resources make their way to the people who need them most.
The WH-LAIR will continue to convene and discuss how the federal government can incorporate legal services among the range of supportive services provided, and increase the availability of meaningful access to justice for individuals and families, regardless of wealth or status.
Panelists included:
- BB Beltran, Executive Director, Sexual Assault Support Services
- Brian Frosh, Maryland Attorney General
- Tiffany Graves, Co-President, Association of Pro Bono Counsel
- Archie Roundtree, 2020 Equal Justice Works Legal Fellow, Bet Tzedek Legal Services
- Monica Vigues-Pitan, Executive Director, Legal Services of Greater Miami
Members of the WH-LAIR include:
- Department of State
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Defense
- Department of Justice
- Department of the Interior
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Labor
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Education
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Homeland Security
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Office of Management and Budget
- United States Agency for International Development
- Administrative Conference of the United States
- National Science Foundation
- United States Digital Service
- Domestic Policy Council
- Office of the Vice President
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