Since 2007, Sandman has been the D.C. Public Schools' general counsel. His resignation from the D.C. school system is not politically motivated, he claims, though it is the second departure from the system of a high-level employee just after Michelle A. Rhee, the schools chancellor, resigned in October.
Sandman worked for more than 30 years at Arnold & Porter, a D.C., firm, prior to working with the school system. He ended his career at Arnold & Porter as a managing partner. Sandman had always been a proponent of legal services provided pro bono and also served as vice chairman of the Washington Performing Arts Society.
Now, in his new position, Sandman expects to be able to address American issues such as foreclosure, eviction, domestic violence, and the concerns of military veterans, ''It is a unique opportunity to improve access to justice at a time when too many poor Americans are facing difficulty in getting fair treatment.''
Legal Services Corp. was founded in 1974 and is led by eleven bipartisan members. The corporation operates as a non-profit provider of civil legal aid for the nation's poor. LSC distributes 95% of its funding to legal aid programs that provide aid to low-income individuals and families throughout the United States. LSC awards its grants via a competitive grants process, hoping to foster equal access to justice. The board of directors are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Sandman says, ''The gap between the need for legal services by poor people and what's available to serve them has been widening in recent years. The system doesn't work if you don't have a lawyer. Anyone who's tried to go into court alone knows that. [LSC] is designed to ensure fundamental fairness when people are facing the types of issues they're facing today.''
The board chairman of Legal Services Corp John G. Levi says of Sandman that he is, ''a very distinguished attorney admired by his colleagues for his service to the community and to the legal profession.''
