Marty

Wegbreit

Nominated by Sarah Bures

"Marty is retiring soon after 43 years legal aid career, including the last 19 years at Central Virginia Legal Aid Society---an LSC grantee. He has served thousands of clients in Virginia over his career, with CVLAS estimating that he has recovered about $3 million for clients in the past 19 years and saved them more than $7 million. In 2018, Marty helped to lead a groundbreaking effort to establish an eviction diversion program in Richmond, the No. 2 city for evictions in the U.S. in a national database survey published in 2018. This program diverted 76 evictions in its first three months alone.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                    During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marty personally handled more than 600 cases involving unemployment claims in a system that was woefully unprepared for the 1.6 million claims it received. In addition to establishing meaningful programs and working personally to ensure access to justice, Marty served as an ever-available resource for volunteer lawyers on pro bono matters, teaching countless training sessions and advising on individual matters. Marty is truly a Champion of Justice in Central Virginia."