Message From Our Executive Director
For 100 years, Maryland Legal Aid has protected the rights of hundreds of thousands of Maryland citizens—the poor, the elderly, the abused, the disenfranchised—who would have otherwise gone without legal representation or advice in civil matters.
Founded on Sept. 24, 1911 in response to a need to provide free legal assistance to immigrants and their families, Legal Aid is today one of the largest and most successful legal services programs in the United States, with 13 offices and a staff of nearly 300 (half of them lawyers).
Throughout its history, Legal Aid has been an innovative leader in helping the most vulnerable among us. Achievements have included a groundbreaking clinical law partnership with the University of Maryland law school, the creation of the first civil legal aid office in the country housed in a city municipal building, and significant legal victories at the U.S. Supreme Court, just to name a few.
Most recently, Legal Aid was the first legal services program in the U.S. to adopt a human rights framework as its central operating principle. Basic human rights are referenced in the seminal documents of the nation. The Declaration of Independence speaks of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” They are also embodied in the Constitution as rights not given by the government, but as natural rights we have by virtue of being human.
The human rights framework embodies President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" 1941 State of the Union address as a guideline. Roosevelt’s famous speech was given as the nation was still reeling from the Great Depression and about to enter the throes of World War II to fight against an alliance of totalitarian regimes who showed a callous disregard for human life and basic human rights. In this context, the speech was especially meaningful. Roosevelt believed in a world founded on the essential freedoms of speech and of worship, and freedom from want and from fear. He said that “freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere.” Legal Aid has adopted its human rights framework to incorporate FDR’s vision, to attack the root of client problems, and to broaden our advocacy efforts.
The international community has examined human rights since Roosevelt’s speech and has developed standards which direct nations to progressively realize and achieve those rights. Closer to home, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Maryland Court of Appeals have looked to human rights law in examining issues such as capital punishment, medical experimentation on children, and the right of transgendered people to be identified to their selected gender. Legal Aid is positioned to be at the forefront of efforts to further the expansion of human rights jurisprudence.
On September 24, 2011, Legal Aid’s 100th birthday, 100 Human Rights and Justice Champions were honored for their contributions of time, talent and treasure to the advancement of Legal Aid’s mission over its first century. The centennial celebration’s keynote speaker was Harry Belafonte, known worldwide for his achievements as a singer, actor, and producer, and above all, for his commitment to human rights. In addition, the gifted artist Josee Nadeau painted live during the evening. Her rendition of Legal Aid’s commemorative poster captures the spirit of the commitment Legal Aid has to the lofty ideals embodied in its human rights framework.
The centennial celebration evening served as an appropriate bridge to Legal Aid’s second century of service. On behalf of the staff, thank you for your continuing support. We shall continue to build our legacy over the next 100 years as the preeminent law firm in Maryland which advances human rights and justice for all.
Wilhelm H. Joseph, Jr., Executive Director
