Twenty-three years ago, Sidley Austin partner John Levi helped a young lawyer start his career by hiring Barack Obama as a summer associate. In 2009 it was President Obama who extended the job offer when he nominated Levi to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. After winning Senate confirmation, Levi was elected as chairman for the LSC, the private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1974 to fund civil legal assistance for the poor. Since its founding, the LSC has been under almost continual attack from lawmakers. And according to a recent report, individual programs will have to cut a total of 750 employees this year. Levi (pictured at left) recently spoke with us about why the LSC remains important. An edited version of our conversation follows.
Q: Why are the LSC and the programs that it funds needed?
