Helaine M. Barnett served as the president of the Legal Services Corporation from January 20, 2004, until the end of 2009. Barnett received her bachelor of arts from Barnard College and her law degree from New York University School of Law.

 

The first legal aid attorney to be appointed president of LSC, Barnett has devoted her entire professional career to providing legal services to the indigent as an advocate with The Legal Aid Society in New York City, the oldest and largest legal aid organization in the country.

 

From 1994 until the end of 2003, she managed Legal Aid Society’s civil division. The civil division employed approximately 240 staff members, including roughly 125 attorneys. Barnett was recognized for developing and executing a disaster response plan to coordinate the delivery of critical legal assistance to New Yorkers in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.