From Christine Thorp, And Justice For All
And Justice for All (AJFA), a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to civil legal aid across Utah, will host its inaugural Southern Utah Justice Rising Breakfast on Tuesday, October 20, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in St. George. The event will feature keynote speaker Senior Judge John J. Walton of Utah’s Fifth District Court, with welcoming remarks from former Utah State Representative V. Lowry Snow.
The breakfast will bring together Southern Utah’s legal, business, and community leaders to raise awareness and build support for free civil legal aid programs serving low-income individuals and families, survivors of domestic violence, and people with disabilities. These services help people navigate serious legal challenges involving housing, family safety, financial security, disability rights, and other essential needs.
AJFA raises funds and builds community support for Utah’s three largest legal aid organizations: Utah Legal Services, the Disability Law Center, and the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake. Together, these organizations help 30,000 Utahns each year who might otherwise face serious legal problems without an attorney. The need remains significant: More than two-thirds of Utah’s lower-income survey respondents indicated that they could not afford a lawyer if they needed one.
AJFA also supports access to legal assistance in the region through the Southern Utah Community Legal Center, a collaborative effort involving AJFA, Utah Legal Services, the Disability Law Center, and the Southern Utah Bar Association. AJFA provides and funds the office space and overhead costs, while Utah Legal Services maintains on-site staff to provide direct legal assistance and coordinate volunteer attorney services. The Disability Law Center also uses the shared space for client meetings and outreach. The collaboration helps connect Southern Utah residents with the legal resources they need.
“Access to legal help can be especially challenging for people living outside the Wasatch Front,” said Staci Duke, executive director of And Justice for All. “We already have important partnerships in Southern Utah, and this breakfast is an opportunity to build on that work, strengthen relationships in the community, and make sure more people know that free legal help is available.”
The breakfast is open to the community, with an optional coffee and juice reception beginning at 7 a.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about civil legal aid and support the programs serving Southern Utah residents.
For more information, visit givebutter.com/justicerising.
About And Justice for All
And Justice for All is a Utah nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to civil legal aid for people who cannot afford an attorney. Through fundraising, community partnerships, and shared resources, AJFA supports Utah Legal Services, the Disability Law Center, Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, and additional nonprofit legal aid organizations serving communities throughout Utah.
Learn more at andjusticeforall.org.