Rep. Donato receives Beacon of Justice award

State Rep. Paul Donato was honored with a Beacon of Justice Award from the Equal Justice Coalition at its annual Beacon of Justice Awards ceremony at the State House on March 23.

Donato was recognized for his outstanding support for civil legal aid, which assists low-income individuals and families in resolving issues related to basic necessities such as housing, employment, classroom accommodations for children with disabilities, and conflicts related to child support and custody, divorce, and domestic violence.

A report released by the Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in the fall of 2014 revealed that more than 60 percent of those eligible for civil legal aid in Massachusetts who seek services are turned away due to lack of resources. The Task Force recommended increasing the Commonwealth’s investment in civil legal aid by $10 million a year over the next three years to begin to address this unmet need. Based on the report’s recommendation, the Equal Justice Coalition and its legislative and legal allies have called for a $10 million increase in this year’s budget.

“I thank the Equal Justice Coalition for recognizing me with this award,” said Donato. “I believe strongly in the coalition’s mission to ensure that low-income people in the Commonwealth have equal access to the court system when they have non-criminal legal problems. Time and again, civil legal aid has proven effective in helping vulnerable residents resolve legal problems that otherwise would have pushed them further down into poverty. I look forward to continuing to work with the Equal Justice Coalition to make this vital service more widely available.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support given to civil legal aid by Representative Donato,” said John Carroll, chair of the Equal Justice Coalition. “We cannot fulfill America’s promise of equal justice under the law without a robust, community-based network of legal aid programs.”

“Civil legal aid is a powerful tool that helps people living in poverty build a foundation of stability from which they can create a better future for themselves, their families, and our communities,” added Lonnie Powers, executive director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. (MLAC), which funds and supports organizations that provide civil legal assistance to low-income residents. “The vital work accomplished by civil legal aid agencies throughout the Commonwealth would not be possible without the support of legislative champions like Representative Donato.”

The Equal Justice Coalition also presented Beacon of Justice awards to state Sens. Harriette Chandler and Karen Spilka, and state Reps. Claire Cronin, and Bradford Hill. Champion of Justice awards were presented to Supreme Judicial Court Justice Robert Cordy and Attorney General Maura Healey for their exceptional support for civil legal aid during their legal careers.

The Equal Justice Coalition is a collaboration of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, Massachusetts Bar Association and Boston Bar Association. It advocates increasing the state appropriation for civil legal aid, which funds programs throughout the state that provide legal advice and representation to low-income Massachusetts residents facing civil legal problems. For more information, visit http://equaljusticecoalition.org.