Administrative Conference of the United States and Legal Services Corporation Announce 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: 202.295.1615
Email: rauscherc@lsc.gov

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

Washington, D.C., November 17, 2022—The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) and Legal Services Corporation (LSC) are pleased to announce an upcoming public forum, 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 panel, “Expanding Access to Representation,” will take place virtually on December 6, 2022, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET. It will examine why many parties, especially members of historically underserved communities, do not have professional representation and address whether and how self-representation impacts procedural fairness, substantive outcomes, and administrative efficiency. Panelists will address potential strategies that public- and private-sector institutions can implement to expand access to representation in federal adjudication processes and challenges for implementing them.

Panelists include:

  • Nancy Griswold, Deputy Director, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor 

  • Deedee Peterson, Executive Director, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.

  • Richard Prebil, Supervising Attorney, Veterans Advocacy Project at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania

  • Ashley Tabaddor, Chief Counsel, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Remarks will also be provided by Ronald S. Flagg, President of LSC, and Andrew Fois, Chair of ACUS.

Click here to register to attend the panel on Zoom. The panel will also be livestreamed on LSC’s Facebook page.

Future panels will address ways to promote effective representation of parties by lawyers and nonlawyers and to expand services for self-represented parties. Dates and panelists will be announced when details are available.

“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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