LSC President Jim Sandman Speaks Before Oklahoma Access To Justice Commission
LSC President Jim Sandman addresses the Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission.
Photo Credit: Garett Fisbeck, Oklahoma Gazette.
The Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission met in Oklahoma City on August 26 for discussions on how to expand access to civil legal justice across the state. LSC President Jim Sandman attended the meeting to share his perspective on improving civil legal aid programs for low-income people and success stories from other states.
Commission members include an Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice, two judges, a representative from a legal services program, an attorney, and others who have demonstrated a commitment to access to justice. M. David Riggs, a partner with Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis, PC, is Chair of the Commission.
“Our Commission is working on a number of initiatives which we think will improve access to justice for needy Oklahoma citizens while at the same time helping to strengthen our economy by reducing homelessness and unemployment, and by resolving family conflicts,” Riggs said.
Topics covered during the meeting included a newly launched interactive website providing free legal information to low-income Oklahoma citizens and a statewide assessment survey on legal needs. Sandman highlighted the importance of courthouses becoming more user-friendly for self-represented litigants and simplifying court processes.
Sandman explained the challenges of communicating civil legal aid’s value to the Commission members. He encouraged supporters to work on spreading the message that these programs have a significant impact on individual lives, whether it is a grandparent obtaining guardianship of a grandchild, a veteran helped through bankruptcy court, or a family that is able to avoid eviction by filing a fair housing complaint.
During his visit to Oklahoma, Sandman also met with staff from Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Legal Services during his visit to the state.
(Left-Right): Stephanie Hudson, Interim Executive Director of Oklahoma Indian Legal Services; LSC President Jim Sandman; Michael Figgins, Executive Director, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.
