Administrative Conference of the United States and Legal Services Corporation Announce Additional Webinars for Public Forum “Assisting Parties in Federal Administrative Adjudication”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Harry M. Seidman, Administrative Conference of the United States
Phone: 202.480.2085
Email: hseidman@acus.gov

Contact: Carl Rauscher, Director of Communications and Media Relations, Legal Services Corporation
Phone: 202.295.1616
Email: rauscherc@lsc.gov

Administrative Conference of the United States and Legal Services Corporation Announce Additional Webinars for Public Forum “Assisting Parties in Federal Administrative Adjudication”

Washington, D.C., April 20, 2023—The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) and Legal Services Corporation (LSC) are pleased to announce the second and third webinars in an ongoing series, Assisting Parties in Federal Administrative Adjudication.

Millions of people each year navigate adjudication processes to access critical benefits and services administered by federal agencies or provided under federal programs. According to the Justice Gap study published by LSC earlier this year, 92% of the substantial legal problems facing low-income Americans—including problems accessing federally administered benefits—receive no or inadequate legal assistance.

This public forum, which will feature multiple panel presentations over the next several months, will examine ways to improve support for parties in adjudication processes in which they are frequently self-represented.

The first webinar, Expanding Access to Representation, held in December, examined why many parties do not have professional representation, addressed the effects of self-representation, and explored potential strategies for expanding access to representation. A recording of the first webinar is available online.

The second webinar, Promoting Effective Representation, will take place on Thursday, May 11, at 1 p.m. ET. Legal aid attorneys will share their best practices for training staff and pro bono attorneys to assist low-income clients with applications for or appeals involving federal benefits, and government leaders will discuss training and professional development opportunities their agencies provide to help less experienced advocates represent their clients’ interests effectively.

Panelists include:

  • Kristen Dama, Managing Attorney, SSI Unit and Medical-Legal Partnership, Community Services of Philadelphia
  • Janet Gongola, Vice Chief Judge for Engagement, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Lauren Alder Reid, Assistant Director, Office of Policy, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice
  • Robyn Smith, Senior Attorney, Economic Stability Group, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Andrew Fois, Chair of ACUS, and Ronald S. Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation, will also provide remarks.

Click here to register to attend the second panel on Zoom.

The third webinar, Creating and Improving Resources for Self-Represented Parties, will take place on Tuesday, June 27, at 1 p.m. ET. Panelists will address tools such as technology resources and how-to guides. Confirmed panelists include:

  • Tamara Boland, Director, Taxpayer Advocate Service, Internal Revenue Service
  • David Bonebrake, Deputy Director, Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation
  • Katherine Alteneder, Consulting Senior Strategic Advisor, Self-Represented Litigation Network

Click here to register to attend the third panel on Zoom.

Both panels will also be livestreamed on LSC’s Facebook page, and recordings will be available on LSC’s YouTube channel and ACUS’s website after the event.

“We are thrilled to be co-hosting this forum with the Legal Services Corporation,” said ACUS Chair Andrew Fois. “It is important for ACUS to identify ways to support self-represented parties involved in administrative adjudications, especially those from traditionally underserved communities. This forum will explore a full range of proposals to achieve that goal.” 

“Access to Federal benefits can be life-changing for millions of low-income Americans including Veterans, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness,” said LSC President Ronald S. Flagg. “Our grantees serve as many applicants for Federal benefits as they can, but they do not have resources to serve all of them. We’re grateful that ACUS is exploring strategies to expand access to representation in Federal administrative proceedings and excited to collaborate with them on this important educational series.”

About ACUS

The Administrative Conference of the United States is an independent, non-partisan federal agency within the executive branch dedicated to improving administrative law and federal regulatory processes. It conducts applied research, and provides expert recommendations and other advice, to improve federal agency procedures. Its membership is composed of senior federal officials, academics, and other experts from the private sector. Since 1968, ACUS has issued hundreds of recommendations, published reports and reference guides, and organized forums to improve the efficiency, adequacy, and fairness of administrative processes such as rulemaking and adjudication. Many have resulted in reforms by federal agencies, the President, Congress, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. Learn more at www.acus.gov.  

About LSC

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Learn more at www.lsc.gov.

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