Harvesters of Hope’s Tom Perry and Tom Heflin Receive Legal Services Alabama’s Taze Shepard Pro Bono Fairness Award 2026
- Harvesters of Hope
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Updated: May 15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montgomery, AL — April 30, 2026 — Harvesters of Hope is proud to announce that it has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Fairness Award, presented by Legal Services Alabama. The Justice, Fairness & Hope Awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional individuals who have played pivotal roles in advancing access to justice across the state, while raising funds to endow the next class of LSA John Lewis Legal Fellows.
Harvesters of Hope is an initiative of the Alabama State Bar launched in 2024 during Tom Perry’s term as president and was developed in collaboration with attorney Tom Heflin to address serious gaps in legal representation in rural areas across the state. The campaign was organized in response to data that demonstrated rural geographies in Alabama have too few lawyers, creating “legal deserts” where residents lack meaningful access to legal services. Perry and Heflin dubbed these regions “Legal Opportunity Zones” and worked to recruit and support attorneys who could establish a consistent presence in these rural areas. The initiative also helped form a nonprofit foundation, Harvesters of Hope, to continue the initiative’s success long-term.
“Tom and I are deeply honored to receive the Fairness Award,” said Tom Heflin, Executive Director of Harvesters of Hope. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our participants, grantors, and staff who work every day to ensure that dignity, fairness, and opportunity are accessible to all. Our Board of Directors is instrumental in the success of the program. Thank you Allison Skinner, Forrest Latta, Leslie Minor, John Peek, and Jerome Thompson.”
“Each award recipient has demonstrated their commitment to advancing access to justice in Alabama and reflect the leadership of the three individuals for whom the awards are named—Tommy Wells, Taze Shepard and John Lewis,” says Guy Lescault, Executive Director of Legal Services Alabama.
Harvesters of Hope will be formally recognized at the Legal Services Alabama’s 7th Annual Justice, Fairness, & Hope Awards luncheon on May 7. Tickets may be purchased on their website. LSA is Alabama’s only statewide nonprofit provider of civil legal aid.
For more information on Harvesters of Hope, please visit www.harvestersofhope.org.
PREPARED BY
Christine Noell
(334) 203-4810
April 2026
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