Justice Paul H. Anderson at the AALL Annual Meeting: On “Access to Justice”
This post is a message from the 2013 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference. To read other posts in the series, click here, and watch for more content soon!
“Law librarians do play an essential role by educating the people as to their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. The resources you provide are capable of unlocking the door that leads to a more just society.”
This was Justice Paul H. Anderson’s address to the law librarians gathered this week at the AALL Annual Meeting and Conference in Seattle. Reflecting on the keynote theme, “Access to Justice” and on the now 50 year-old decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, Justice Anderson was encouraged to see law librarians coming together to collectively reflect and improve on their work and their goals.
“It is fitting that you pause for a moment to celebrate the role law librarians played in vindicating Gideon’s constitutional rights. But, it is more important that you focus on what remains to be done. An informed and enlightened democratic society cannot survive unless there is a genuine access to justice under the law for everyone.”
Engage in the conversation: share your thoughts below about Anderson’s position and about the important roles that law librarians hold. To read more, visit the Legal Solutions blog.
