WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Jul 11, 2013) - The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) has announced that it will honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, at its Exemplar Award Dinner on September 19, 2013. The event pays tribute to those individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to providing access to equal justice for all Americans. Justice Ginsburg will receive the prestigious 'Justice John Paul Stevens Award' at NLADA's signature event, held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Teri Plummer McClure, senior vice president and general counsel of UPS, has been named NLADA's 2013 Exemplar Award recipient for her exceptional leadership in supporting and advancing the cause of legal representation for those unable to pay for it.

"NLADA has been at the forefront of the fight for equal justice since its inception more than 100 years ago, and we are able to continue playing this leadership role because of the generous and resolute support of the corporate counsel and the private law firm community," noted NLADA President and CEO, Jo-Ann Wallace. "We are proud to honor Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg and Teri McClure for their invaluable contributions. This year's Exemplar Award Dinner will demonstrate yet again our nation's commitment to the principle of justice for all under the law."

Dan Raviv, CBS News national correspondent, will be the master of ceremonies at the event, which will raise funds for the "Blueprint for Justice: Delivering on the Promise," program, providing financially secure and strategically designed civil and defender state advocacy systems throughout the United States. More than 400 private attorneys, general counsel and equal justice advocates will come together to recognize those individuals and law firms that have made a real difference to the lives of so many Americans.

Public nominations are now being accepted for the Kutak-Dodds Prize, which recognizes individuals who have, through practice of law, enhanced the quality of life of those unable to afford legal representation, as well as the Beacon of Justice Award, which honors law firms that have provided significant pro bono representation to secure the mandate of Gideon v. Wainwright in this 50^th anniversary year of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision.

National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is America's oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. For more than 100 years, NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state and local level through the creation of our public defender system, development of nationally applicable standards for legal representation, groundbreaking legal legislation and the creation of important institutions such as the Legal Services Corporation. For more information, visit www.nlada.org.

Note to editors:
Exemplar Award Dinner Contribution levels: Chairman's Circle ($100,000); Underwriter ($75,000); Patron ($50,000); Benefactor ($25,000); Mentor ($10,000); Ambassador ($5,000); Donor ($2,500); Friend ($1,000); Individual ($300). 2013 Exemplar Dinner Registration: http://www.nlada100years.org/exemplar-dinner