On Friday, April 11, 2003, the United States Senate confirmed President Bush’s nomination of one of our members, Herbert S. Garten, to serve on the Legal Services Corporation Board of Directors. Herb is one of the first two Democrats chosen to sit on the eleven member bipartisan Board. LSC, a private, non-profit corporation, was created by Congress in 1974 to oversee the national legal services program and ensure that eligible low-income Americans have access to free legal assistance in civil matters. Last year, LSC funded 179 independent, local legal services programs serving every state and the U.S. territories.

Since 1994, Herb has served as Chairman of the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, which was created by the General Assembly in 1982. “Under his leadership, MLSC’s revenues increased by nearly fifty percent, and MLSC grantees now serve more than 100,000 persons annually,” according to MLSC’s Executive Director Bob Rhudy.

During 1997-2000, Herb served as Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Accounts. This former MSBA President (1989-90) currently serves on the ABA Commission on Homelessness and on the ABA House of Delegates.

As MLSC Chairman, Herb joined with legal service providers throughout Maryland in celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on March 26, 2003 in Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington. The 5-4 majority decision upheld the constitutionality of IOLTA under the Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Close to half of Maryland’s Legal Service Corp.’s $7 million budget comes from interest on lawyer escrow accounts. Before the General Assembly closed this year’s session, it agreed to appropriate just $300,000 of the projected $1.2 million requested to cover a shortfall due to the drop in IOLTA revenues caused by low interest rates.

We congratulate our fellow member on his appointment to the LSC Board. Herb’s leadership and experience in preserving equal access to justice will be great assets at the national level.