IADC Member Matthew Keenan Confirmed by Senate to Legal Services Corporation Board
The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that IADC member Matthew D. Keenan has been appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as one of eight new members of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) board of directors.
Also a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. in Kansas City, Mo., Keenan was sworn in as an LSC board member Oct. 2 by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts following his Aug. 1 Senate confirmation. The LSC is the largest provider of civil legal assistance for low income people in the nation. Its 11-member board is bipartisan: No more than six members may be of the same political party.
Keenan is past chair of the Social Justice Pro Bono Committee and current member of the Trial Techniques and Tactics Committee, both of the IADC, which takes a leadership role in many areas of legal reform and promotes social justice by expanding and supporting pro bono programs among attorneys who are members of the IADC.
Keenan also serves on the board of Legal Aid of Western Missouri and previously served for eight years as chair of Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s Pro Bono Committee.
In a release, the firm said Keenan focuses his practice on pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. He also focuses on the preparation and defense of a number of corporate witnesses in many MDL proceedings. During his career, he has tried jury trials in seven states.
An independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974, the LSC promotes equal access to justice by awarding grants to legal services providers through a competitive grants process. LSC distributes more than 90 percent of its total funding to 132 independent nonprofit legal aid programs with more than 800 offices. The LSC also conducts compliance reviews and program visits to oversee program quality and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as restrictions that accompany LSC funding, and provides training and technical assistance to programs. For more information, visit www.lsc.gov.
