Neal J. Blaher, May 27, 2010, as recipient of Legal Aid Society’s highest pro bono award, the Judge JC ‘Jake’ Stone Distinguished Service Award, gave the following remarks:

I cannot begin to say how truly humbled I am to have been chosen to receive this honor. Frankly, I am finding it difficult to be honored for doing what I feel duty-bound in this life to do—That is, to help others.

Which brings me to a warning I must issue to everyone here---I am going to use the “L” word. So if there are any underage children present, I strongly encourage parents to cover their ears.

I am referring, of course, to the word “Liberal”. I imagine a large portion of those gathered here this evening are, like myself, Baby Boomers—that legendary generation of youngsters born from 1946 to 1964 who, in our younger days, were the very definition of “liberals”.

We now call our parents, The Greatest Generation. But we sure did not call them that back then. We cared about those less fortunate than ourselves, but did not think our parents---hardened by what they had seen and experienced in the horrible (and hopefully last!) World War—could have the same feeling of compassion for others.

Well, the Baby Boomers have grown up (and old!), and we have figured out how wrong we were about our parents. But in doing so, have we forgotten so much of the good that this generation accomplished that its youth left behind? When did we forget what the "L" word really meant?

It did not mean, we want big government, big spending and big taxes. It meant understanding and acknowledging that those less fortunate than us do not always get there because of their own failings, or for lack of trying. Some get there because of—to quote a popular series of children’s books, and a very clever movie—‘a series of unfortunate events’.

Does this explain why our Guardian Ad Litem Program has had to send out mass emails begging Orange County lawyers to take cases?

As a young lawyer here in the 1980’s, I was told how the Orange County Bar’s Legal Aid Society was the oldest program of its kind. In fact, it traced its roots back to the 1960’s—the very time that the Baby Boomers were in their youth and expressing their idealism. It was the model cited by the American Bar Association as the example for other bar associations nationwide to follow.

I could have gotten up here tonight, and just talked about how rewarding it has been to salvage the lives of children of all ages who were pushed aside by their parents or other family members. Of course, that is true—it HAS been rewarding to make a difference in the lives of these kids, and to show them that it’s not their fault, and they can still make a good life for themselves.

But this GAL ‘job’ is not about me. It is about a duty we all have to each other. It is a duty not to say, each man for himself, but rather each one for the other. A duty not to look at those less fortunate and assume they got that way through their own failings or lack of effort, but instead consider the possibility that every time they picked themselves up and marched forward, they kept getting beaten back, through no fault of their own.

When I go out and perform my duties as a Guardian ad Litem, I am constantly reminded of this lesson. Most of these children are where they are through no fault of their own. They are our responsibility. Regardless of what religion you follow, or if you follow no religion at all, we all owe a duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves. And what better place to start than with these children so many of whom get lost in the system when they, for whatever reason, get separated from family.

You know we hear so much today about how much is wrong with the world. Maybe we should follow the advice my father used to tell me and my brother: You have to start with the basics before you can go farther and accomplish anything. So perhaps we can start making the world look a little better if we do just that---start with the basics: Reach out to help someone who has been less fortunate.

In that spirit I would challenge each one of you who has not, or who for whatever reason stopped, to let this award—and my opportunity to speak with you tonight—encourage you to volunteer your time as a GAL starting tomorrow morning. By stepping forward to help one of these children, perhaps we can all remember what the “L” word really used to mean!

Thank you again for this very humbling honor. Good night.