The Consortium honors on this page the memory of people featured on this website who have died.
Their careers included devotion to justice. They were leaders, colleagues, and friends.
We include below the dates of their deaths as best we know them. For some people, you can find obituaries and tributes to them in the field “What others say”.
This information is incomplete and still being compiled. We welcome updates and corrections, including dates of death, obituaries, tributes, and similar information.
Following is a list of persons on this site whom we know have passed away, and their dates of death.
Feb 26, 2025
Senior LSC staff who headed its research institute, and oversaw its support centers. Key lobbyist and draftsman in efforts to pass LSC Act and preserve LSC. Later headed CNEJL to preserve legal aid history.
Mar 1, 2024
Executive VP of LSC. Previously legal aid lawyer in New York City. Later active in Massachusetts including the Harvard Law School program on the legal profession.
Jul 18, 2024
Served 43 years of public service with Georgia Legal Services Program including 27 years as Executive Director.
Aug 27, 2023
Chief Counsel and CEO of Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD) 1974-2023. A founder of the Health Consumer Alliance, a coalition of 10 Calif. legal aid organizations.
Jan 30, 2023
Directed and expanded New York City Bar. Cofounded Children’s Law Center. Chaired Legal Services NYC. Cochaired New York’s Committee on Women in the Courts.
Oct 11, 2023
Directed Texas RioGrande Legal Aid for 42 years after starting his career with the United Farm Workers (UFW). National leader on migrant labor issues.
Jan 23, 2022
Seminal figure who with wife Jean Camper Cahn authored landmark 1964 article for the Yale Law Journal proposing national system of legal services to the poor.
Jan 20, 2022
Directed Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Maine 1990 - 2022. Guided innovative work on technology, veterans, foreclosures, etc.
Mar 1, 2021
Incorporator and president of Legal Services of NJ. Nationally, chaired Project Advisory Group (PAG) and led on IOLTA and LSC performance criteria.
Apr 23, 2020
Directed OEO Legal Services in the Nixon administration. Authored and personally served the first cong'l subpoena of a sitting U.S. President. Later private investigator.
Apr 13, 2019
Former public defender, legal services attorney, and justice technology designer. Leading crusader for the cause of self represented litigants in US.
Jan 12, 2019
Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Previously with Neighborhood Legal Services Program and Center for Law and Social Policy.
Oct 20, 2018
Directed North Mississippi Rural Legal Services. VP and General Counsel of Children’s Defense Fund. Strategist and advocate to preserve LSC from Reagan-era cuts.
Feb 12, 2017
First Director of the Legal Services Program (LSP) within OEO). Then Executive VP of LSC. Was also President of NLADA.
Nov 29, 2016
Directed Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Later Judge on Mo. Court of Appeals. Then was both the first Jewish and the first legally blind judge on the Mo. Supreme Court.
Mar 25, 2013
Journalist, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a longtime NY Times columnist. Authored book "Gideon’s Trumpet".
Jul 13, 2013
Law partner of President Nixon, whom he served in White House, where Garment championed Legal Services Act through enactment.
Aug 18, 2011
Helped create the OEO Legal Services program and LSC. President of ABA. President of the International League for Human Rights.
Sep 12, 2009
Law firm partner who played leading role in legal aid in Sacramento including creating the Legal Aid Society there.
Jan 1, 2009
President of NLADA. Chaired LSC. Led ABA committees. Board member of Legal Aid Society of St. Louis. Private practice.
Oct 30, 2005
Republican Congressman from Illinois involved in OEO Legal Services and Legal Services Act. Later LSC board member then interim LSC president.
Jul 16, 2003
Former president of the ABA during creation of the LSC, about which he dealt with President Nixon. Smith previously served on the ABA Committee on the Availability of Legal Services. Committed to civil legal aid.
Apr 13, 2000
Seminal figure who worked on both civil and criminal matters. Leader with United Planning Organization, and CRLA on farmworkers. Clinical programs at universities.
Apr 26, 1998
Started in legal services in Greenville, SC. Became judge. Founder of Piedmont Legal Services. Member of the Spartanburg City Council.
Mar 17, 1994
Key leader to establish legal services program in D.C. Influenced formation of the federal legal services program. Counsel for NLADA.