John Milligan is a retired Legal Aid of Nebraska employee from Lincoln
How are you connected to Legal Aid?
I became a staff member of Legal Services of Southeast Nebraska in 1978, and worked as a staff attorney in the Lincoln Office of Legal Aid of Nebraska until 2016. Upon graduation from law school (UN Class of 1977) I wanted to work at Western Nebraska Legal Services in Scottsbluff, but they did not have any openings. My first job was in the Butte Office of Montana Legal Services, and I returned to Lincoln after a very interesting year.
What brought you to Legal Aid?
Like many law students I did not have much of an idea of what my legal career was going to look like. The University of Nebraska College of Law’s Civil Clinical Law Program had just begun when I entered law school and I was lucky to become a student in that program. Having the opportunity to serve as a law clerk in the UN Student Legal Services Office also gave me a great introduction to the legal aid world. The Clinical Law Programs at UN and Creighton are so important, both for the students who participate and the clients they serve. I’ve always felt like it’s important to give as many people as possible “access” to the legal system, and that’s the core of what brought me to Legal Aid.
How have you helped Legal Aid create equal justice?
I hope that I was able to provide competent, effective legal representation to thousands of Nebraskans of limited means. Sharing my experience as a resource for other representatives was always personally rewarding. Capable legal representation causes the system to recognize and respect the client, and in a sense provides the client with a seat at the table of justice.
What difference have you seen happen because of Legal Aid?
Shortly before I began my career in 1977, Legal Aid became a nationwide component in the War on Poverty. Legal Aid did not receive a warm welcome into many of the counties. Over the years Legal Aid has not only been accepted into the legal community, but has been welcomed as an important part of the overall package of necessary social services. The availability of legal representation for low-income individuals in a wide range of civil matters has, in my opinion, brought about numerous improvements in the “fairness” of how the system operates. It certainly isn’t perfect but it is so much better than it used to be. Generally instead of at times being indifferent to the needs of our clients, the system now seeks out Legal Aid’s opinions and the opinions of our clients.
Why is Legal Aid important?
Legal Aid provides a dependable service that is necessary component of “due process” and what I call system “fairness.”
