White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Issues 2022 Report to President Biden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Harry Seidman
202.480.2085
hseidman@acus.gov

White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Issues 2022 Report to President Biden

Washington, D.C., March 22, 2023 – The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is pleased to join the Department of Justice in announcing the release of the 2022 Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Report, Access to Justice Through Simplification: A Roadmap for People-Centered Simplification of Federal Government Forms, Processes, and Language.

The report focuses on ways the federal government can simplify its forms and processes to expand access to federal government programs and services and reduce the need for individuals to seek legal assistance. It identifies a roadmap for simplification and highlights successful agency simplification efforts.

The report also highlights additional resources to help agencies, including two recent ACUS recommendations: Recommendation 2021-4, Virtual Hearings in Agency Adjudication, and Recommendation 2022-3, Automated Legal Guidance at Federal Agencies.

ACUS is one of 28 member agencies of the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable named in President Biden’s May 18, 2021 Memorandum on Restoring the Department of Justice’s Access-to-Justice Function and Reinvigorating the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. The Roundtable was first convened nearly a decade ago to help improve outcomes across federal programs by incorporating access to justice.

Chaired by Attorney General Merrick Garland and White House Counsel Stuart Delery, the Roundtable develops policy recommendations and best practices to improve access to justice and facilitate coordination among federal programs on access-to-justice issues.

“We are delighted to have been a part of LAIR again last year and to have contributed to its annual report. Expanding and simplifying access to federal programs and services, especially for traditionally underserved communities, is essential to good government. Our congratulations to LAIR and the Department of Justice for this valuable report,” said ACUS Chair Andrew Fois.

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.  

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