“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words on multiple occasions roughly 60 years ago, reminding listeners that justice takes time and dedication and that we need to continue to hope and trust that our efforts move this world closer to justice for all.
Advancing that effort to bring justice to all, on Jan. 20, the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Free Legal Help events will take place in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Bethel, offering free legal consultations to those with low to moderate incomes. The events cover a wide range of legal topics, including family law, housing, public benefits, and other civil legal issues. Alaskans can have a free 20-minute consultation with an attorney. No pre-registration is required. Times and locations will vary by community. For more information visit www.alaskabar.org/mlk.
Alaskans with low or moderate incomes can also submit legal questions at alaska.freelegalanswers.org. This free legal clinic is available any time of the year, but will be have extra staffing on MLK Day to serve those unable to attend one of the in-person clinics.
We are all invited to this effort to increase access to justice. Justice requires a holistic approach, one where everyone is on board. We all have gifts that can be shared with our neighbors in making our communities strong and fair. Our gifts might differ in their form or their function. Our gifts might be fleeting or strengthening. Our gifts might be our contagious laughter or our sorrow shared or our presence with another person.
Whatever your gifts, you are a valued member of your community, and you are invited to use your gifts in this effort to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Thank you for all you have already done to increase access to justice, and thank you for continuing the effort to make your community stronger and more just.
— Zach Manzella, Anchorage, chair of the Alaska Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee and adviser to In Our Backyard
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.