LSC Board Chairman John G. Levi to Receive ABA Award
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Carl Rauscher
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CHICAGO– American Bar Association (ABA) President Mary L. Smith will award a Presidential Citation to Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Board Chairman John G. Levi for his profound contributions to the legal profession, democracy and the rule of law. Levi and five other legal luminaries will receive awards throughout the ABA’s Annual Meeting between July 31 and Aug. 6. Smith will present Levi’s award on Aug. 5 at the ABA House of Delegates Meeting.
The ABA announced that Levi, the longest-serving chair of LSC, will be recognized for his unparalleled commitment to justice as LSC marks its 50th anniversary. Levi was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of LSC by President Barack Obama on Aug. 6, 2009, and his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Mar. 19, 2010. He was elected Chairman by his fellow Board members on Apr. 7, 2010 and his re-nomination was confirmed by the Senate in Dec. of 2014. Levi is senior counsel in the Chicago office of Sidley Austin, LLP.
“I am deeply honored to receive this extraordinary award, especially as it comes during LSC's commemoration of its 50th anniversary,” says Levi. “I accept it on behalf of the outstanding LSC Board, our superb staff, and the remarkable network of 130 grantees across the country who work tirelessly to make the promise of equal access to justice a lived reality for all Americans.”
During his tenure at LSC, Levi has led numerous initiatives to raise awareness of the crisis in civil legal aid and to enhance legal services for the low-income Americans. He and the Board have convened forums on access to justice issues at each of its quarterly board meetings across the country and established two auxiliary organizations, the LSC Leaders Council and the Emerging Leaders Council, to help amplify LSC’s message.
Under Levi’s leadership, LSC has for the first time raised private funds to form numerous task forces to target issue areas of great need or importance such as pro bono, fiscal oversight, the opioid epidemic, veterans, housing, disaster response, and rural justice.
And finally, Levi and the Board have promoted data-driven research, reflected in benchmark publications such as the 2017 and 2022 Justice Gap reports. LSC also created an Office of Data Governance and Analysis to guide this research into topics such as a national eviction law study and a close look at how civil court data can improve the delivery and effectiveness of civil legal aid.
The ABA will also present a Champions of Democracy award to Ken Frazier, executive chairman of Merck and co-chair of LSC’s Leaders Council, at the Democracy Summit Luncheon on Aug. 2. Frazier is a longtime supporter of LSC, frequently speaking on the importance of closing the justice gap and the value of civil legal aid to the private sector. He also serves as special advisor to the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.