Jordan Bates-Rogers takes over the Colorado Bar Association Executive Brief
Last month, the Legal Aid Foundation gathered with friends and supporters to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Colorado Legal Services (CLS). The celebration was a poignant reminder of the impact of CLS. For the past 100 years, CLS has championed the cause of equal justice for all. We estimate that 1,000,000 Coloradans have benefited from this advocacy over the past century. This anniversary is also a moment to take stock of the current environment and the role of lawyers in it.
In a time when we find ourselves increasingly divided, I believe that legal aid protects core values that all Coloradans support. Rule 6.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct calls on lawyers to provide 50 hours of pro bono service per year and to financially support legal services organizations. But this work is more than a professional responsibility; it is an opportunity to protect core American values. I want to share with you how CLS’s work protects three of those values that are especially meaningful to me: the values of safety, family, and opportunity.
Every person in this country deserves to be safe from physical and sexual violence. Unfortunately, many Coloradans know the trauma of abuse. When a survivor has the courage to confront their abuser, they are often left to stand in court alone. CLS stands with survivors in court to ensure they have the legal advocacy and emotional support they need.
Every person in this country deserves to know the warmth, love, and support of family. For too many of Colorado’s kids, abuse and neglect result from a parent’s struggles with substance abuse. It is easy for these kids to end up in the child welfare system where their trauma is exacerbated. CLS helps kids stay connected to their family through their kinship adoption program. This program, with pro bono attorney support, helps grandparents, aunts, and uncles to adopt kids who would otherwise lose that connection.
Every person in this country deserves the opportunity to build a brighter future. For our unhoused neighbors, this opportunity is often unavailable. Many have lost important ID documents through camp sweeps, theft, or the general chaos that accompanies the crisis of living unhoused. This creates roadblocks to getting ahead by making it difficult to access healthcare, housing, and work. CLS works with our unhoused neighbors to restore their ID documents, opening access to support services and opportunities.
Today, I call upon all my colleagues to stand with Colorado Legal Services, to protect the foundational values of safety, family, and opportunity. We must answer the call of Rule 6.1. Take on a pro bono case, join the Legal Aid Foundation’s annual Law Firm Campaign and Associates Campaign, or reach out to learn more about how to support this work.
Together, we can realize the American promise of justice for all.