[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 28, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 37159-37160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18085]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 28, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 37159]]

                Proclamation 8397 of July 23, 2009

                
35th Anniversary of the Legal Services 
                Corporation, 2009

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every day the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) breathes 
                life into the timeless ideal, ``equal justice under 
                law.'' It reaches those who cannot afford the 
                assistance they need and those who would otherwise go 
                without vital representation. Today we recognize the 35 
                years during which the LSC has moved our Nation and our 
                legal system towards greater equality.

                The LSC brings legal counsel to every corner of the 
                Nation. As the largest provider of civil legal aid to 
                the poor, it supports programs that touch families in 
                every State. Persons of all ethnic and racial 
                backgrounds know its great work, and women, who 
                represent 75 percent of LSC-supported clients, 
                especially benefit from its expertise.

                The Legal Services Corporation's work helps improve 
                lives. It allows more people to access the public 
                benefits they deserve, more domestic violence victims 
                to secure the protections they desperately need, and 
                more workers to receive the compensation they have been 
                promised and earned.

                During an economic crisis, the work of the LSC is 
                especially important. When families face foreclosure, 
                eviction, or bankruptcy, or when communities are 
                targeted by predatory lenders, they need the help of 
                legal professionals. These scenarios are far too common 
                today. Fortunately, the LSC stands ready to meet these 
                demands.

                Because economically vulnerable communities continue to 
                face an unmet need for legal services, my 
                Administration has supported increased funding for the 
                LSC. I have also recommended lifting several 
                unnecessary restrictions on funding so that more people 
                can receive assistance. These changes are critical to 
                the organization's mission and work.

                We have made great progress in protecting the legal 
                rights of our citizens, and the Legal Services 
                Corporation has played a vital role in this story for 
                more than 3 decades. With continued support, it will 
                serve those in need and help our Nation live out its 
                highest ideals.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim July 25, 2009, as the 
                35th Anniversary of the Legal Services Corporation. I 
                call upon legal professionals and the people of the 
                United States to honor the contributions of this vital 
                organization.

[[Page 37160]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E9-18085
Filed 7-27-09; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P