Atlanta Legal Aid Society
TOGETHER WE CAN
Atlanta Legal Aid Celebrates 90th Anniversary
By Cheryl Naja, Event Co-Chair, Director of Pro Bono &
Community Service, Alston & Bird LLP and
Rita A. Sheffey, Event Co-Chair, Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP
A
tlanta Legal Aid Society Inc. celebrated its 90th
anniversary with a special luncheon on Thursday,
October 2, 2014 at the Georgia Aquarium. The event
theme, “The Many Faces of Atlanta Legal Aid Society,”
reflects the breadth of participation and support key to
helping Atlanta Legal Aid thrive since 1924. Event chairs
are Gaylen Kemp Baxter, Cheryl Naja and Rita A. Sheffey.
Honorary chairs are David and Luck Gambrell.
This celebration was unique. As attendees arrived, they
were greeted by the Tri Cities High School Concert Chorale
singing tunes of Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, among others,
in a nod to the early years of Atlanta Legal Aid’s history. The
program began with video remarks from an Atlanta Legal Aid
client, followed by inspiring remarks from staff and Executive
Director Steve Gottlieb’s reflections on “Keeping the Promise
Made in 1924.”
As the primary provider of legal services to low-income people
in metropolitan Atlanta, the Atlanta Legal Aid family works to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Save Children & Families
Save Homes
Help People Access Health Care
Protect Consumers
Protect People from Violence
Help People With Critical Illnesses Like Cancer and AIDS
Help Hospitalized Children
Protect People in Nursing Homes
Get Care for People with Disabilities
Help Veterans
Begun in 1924 by 17 prominent local attorneys and with
an operating budget of $600, Atlanta Legal Aid saw only
modest increases in funding during its early years. In 1960,
its annual budget was only $50,000, which supported salaries
of five staff attorneys. The Great Society programs in the
mid-1960s not only revolutionized social services programs
in the United States, but also legal services. The Office of
Economic Opportunity was mandated to fund local legal aid
organizations, allowing them to move from small storefront
operations to sophisticated neighborhood offices with larger
staffs. By 1971, Atlanta Legal Aid expanded to 44 attorneys
in five offices with a $1 million budget.
28 THE ATLANTA LAWYER
October 2014
Federal funding for legal services to the poor was
institutionalized with the creation of the Legal Services
Corporation (LSC) in 1974. Steve Gottlieb’s tenure as
Executive Director was only a few weeks old when news
of dramatic federal budget cuts filtered down. He reacted
proactively, recruiting Randolph Thrower, an elder statesman
in Atlanta’s legal community, to help create an annual
fundraising campaign in 1983. The target audience was
thousands of local attorneys and Atlanta’s many law firms.
Since that time, Atlanta Legal Aid has further diversified its
funding to minimize the impact of future declines in LSC or
any other single funding source . Throughout, Atlanta’s legal
community has served as the backbone of Atlanta Legal Aid’s
financial support.
A number of Enduring Principles have guided the Society well
for 90 years and continue to do so today:
• Help Individuals Survive Tough Times
• Develop Creative Programs to Respond to Emerging Needs;
Find New Funding to Support These New Programs
• Work with the Private Bar to Expand Services
• Advocate for Systemic Change in Response to Repeated
Client Problems
• Develop Expertise on Priority Issues
• Share Expertise with Others
• Lead by Example
• Increase and Diversify Funding for Ongoing and Expanded
Services
Thanks to the generous and enduring support of Atlanta’s
legal community and so many others who believe in the
mission, Atlanta Legal Aid has been at the forefront in
providing access to justice for countless individuals for ninety
years. The Society will continue to keep the promise made in
1924 as it moves into new downtown offices at 54 Ellis Street
in the Spring of 2015. We appreciate everyone who joined us
on October 2nd for our 90th anniversary celebration, as well
as those who continue to support the mission of the Atlanta
Legal Aid Society.
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association