Theodore Howard Reappointed as Chair of ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants

June 10, 2019

Washington, DC — Wiley Rein LLP announced today that Theodore A. Howard, the firm’s Pro Bono Partner, has been appointed to a second term as Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants (SCLAID).

Mr. Howard has been a member of the prestigious committee since 2015, and has served as Chair since 2018. Reappointed this month by ABA President-Elect Judy Perry Martinez, he will begin his second one-year term when the ABA concludes its Annual Meeting in August.

“I am honored that the ABA has entrusted me to lead the very important work of this committee for a second year,” Mr. Howard said. “It is a privilege to serve with such an exceptional group of lawyers as we build on the committee’s ongoing efforts to address the legal needs of low-income clients nationwide.”

The 11-member committee works on matters relating to civil legal aid and public defender services. For nearly 100 years, SCLAID has been a national leader in the movement to expand access to justice and provide legal services to low-income populations.

Mr. Howard has a national reputation as a litigator, and his pro bono work has included death penalty cases, housing and family law matters, and important impact litigation involving prisoners’ rights issues. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his pro bono leadership, including the prestigious Wiley A. Branton Award for Civil Rights Advocacy from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC), and the Servant of Justice Award from the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia.

In addition to SCLAID, Mr. Howard serves on numerous other boards and committees, including the District of Columbia Bar Board of Governors, the Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services of the District of Columbia Circuit Judicial Conference, and the Board of Directors of the WLC.