[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16966]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MICHIGAN ADVOCACY PROGRAM

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 2, 2015

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Michigan 
Advocacy Program on their 50th anniversary.
  Since 1965, the Michigan Advocacy Program has worked to make legal 
representation and aid accessible to low income individuals across 
Michigan. Every single day they are fighting to keep people in their 
homes, pushing back against unfair workforce practices, and working to 
ensure the safety for women and children across the state of Michigan. 
Each year they provide free representation for over ten thousand low 
income individuals that would not otherwise have been able to afford a 
lawyer and could have been denied access to the courts.
  Through their focus and dedication, the Michigan Advocacy Program has 
given a voice to low income families by providing free civil legal 
representation. Over the past 50 years, we have had the pleasure of 
watching the Michigan Advocacy Program grow from the Legal Services of 
South Central Michigan into a flourishing organization that works to 
support families across the state of Michigan.
  Equal access to our system of justice and the judicial system is a 
key tenet of our democracy. Courts and the legal system should not be 
reserved only for those who have the most resources. The Michigan 
Advocacy Program has helped promote fairness and equality in our 
society by increasing access to legal aid and representation to low 
income individuals across Michigan. They have an incredibly successful 
track record and years of hard work is certainly worthy of our praise.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor the 
Michigan Advocacy Program on their 50th Anniversary and wish them many 
more years of success.

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