WASHINGTON DC, (November 20) - The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) honored two giants in the field of equal justice at its 2014 Annual Conference Opening Ceremony last week in Arlington, Virginia. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) received NLADA's first-ever Champion of Justice through Public Service Award, and Mary McClymont, President of the Public Welfare Foundation, accepted the NLADA Award for Justice through Philanthropy.

The Champion of Justice through Public Service Award honors a public servant who has, through leadership, advocacy, and engagement, significantly enhanced the accessibility of justice in America for those unable to afford legal counsel. Senator Harkin has served five Senate terms in a congressional career that began in 1974. As Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, he has made a critical impact on the legal aid community. In addition to his repeated commitment to the protection of the Legal Services Corporation, he has been an instrumental figure in countless pieces of legislation supporting legal services providers and their clients, most notably sponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act. Senator Harkin was celebrated as a proponent of American labor rights, and his advocacy around loan forgiveness has made him a hero to the legal aid and public defense communities alike.