The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is pleased to announce that we will be honoring Anthony T. Pierce and Judith L. Lichtman with the Servant of Justice Award at the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner taking place on April 25 at the J.W. Marriott in DC.

Tony Pierce is a litigator and partner in charge of the DC office of Akin Gump. Throughout his career, Tony has promoted, both by word and by deed, access to legal services for vulnerable residents across DC. During his decade-long tenure managing the office, Akin Gump has become one of the leading pro bono firms in the city, with its attorneys averaging more than 140 pro bono hours last year. Tony’s personal pro bono work has included working with Dr. Julius Garvey, son of civil rights leader Marcus Garvey, to secure a posthumous pardon for his father. He also regularly supervises and mentors numerous junior Akin Gump lawyers as they handle housing, veterans’ and benefits cases.

Enhancing access to justice for low-income DC residents is a core part of Tony’s personal and professional identity: Tony has served on Legal Aid’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades, including a term as president from 2006 to 2008. As the longtime chair of the Nominating Committee, Tony has helped build the most diverse and effective board in Legal Aid’s history.

“It is truly an honor to be able to contribute towards Legal Aid’s efforts to provide access to justice to vulnerable residents across DC,” said Mr. Pierce. “I am humbled by this award and look forward to continuing to support Legal Aid and their mission for many years to come.”

Judy Lichtman is a Senior Adviser and former President of the National Partnership for Women and Families. She helped lead the charge for two landmark pieces of legislation in the women’s equality movement: the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Judy was one of two female graduates (with 150 men) from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1965. In 2000, Judy received the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Hubert H. Humphrey Award for her contributions to the advancement of human and civil rights.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been chosen for this prestigious award,” said Ms. Lichtman. “I am indeed in great company with and heartedly congratulate my fellow awardee Anthony T. Pierce. I accept this award on behalf of the hard work, the passion, the commitment, and the effective power of all of my colleagues at the National Partnership for Women & Families. We do this work to make a difference in the lives of those who are shut out of democracy, dismissed as marginal and told that they don’t matter. This award is dedicated to all the women and families who indeed do matter and are worth fighting for day in and day out. Thank you.”

The Servant of Justice Award recognizes individuals or organizations who have demonstrated faithful dedication and remarkable achievement in ensuring that all persons have equal and meaningful access to justice.

“I cannot think of two people who, in their professional careers and personal lives, exemplify what it means to be a 'Servant of Justice' more than Tony Pierce and Judy Lichtman,” said Richard Byrne, Senior Counsel of Exxon Mobil Corporation and Co-Chair of the Servant of Justice Awards Dinner.

Past honorees include such luminaries as Vernon Jordan, Senior Counsel at Akin Gump; Charles Horsky, Partner at Covington and advisor to President Kennedy; Phil Horton, Partner at Arnold & Porter; Vanita Gupta, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Marian Wright Edelman, Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund; Seth Waxman, Partner at WilmerHale and former Solicitor General; and Eric H. Holder, Jr., Partner at Covington and former Attorney General.

Sponsorships, tables, and individual tickets for the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner are available. Please reach out to Rob Pergament, Director of Development at (202) 661-5964 or rpergament@legalaiddc.org for information about sponsorships and tables, and click here to buy tickets.