2023 Recipient of the Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler Award

Kenneth W. Babcock

For over 22 years, Ken Babcock was the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Public Law Center in Santa Ana.  As Executive Director of PLC, Ken significantly expanded the organization so that many more of Orange County’s low-income residents received pro bono legal assistance.  During his tenure at PLC, Ken grew the organization from a staff of 12 and a budget of $750,000 to a staff of 60 and a budget of over $7 million. Ken led expansion of PLC’s work to include immigration, consumer law, eviction defense and small business assistance. Thousands of volunteer lawyers and law students worked alongside PLC’s staff during Ken’s time at PLC to provide over one million hours of free legal services to Orange County’s underserved.

Among the programs created during Ken’s tenure at PLC were two new clinics designed to serve pro se parties coming to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana. The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy clinic and the Federal Pro Se Clinic both provide important legal information to unrepresented parties allowing them to better navigate through their court proceedings. Due in large part to the support of the District Court and the Bankruptcy Court, by Judges, Magistrates and court staff, the clinics have been a tremendous success. No less important in their success has been the participation of many law firms who have staffed clinic sessions and the consistent support of the FBA.

In addition to developing and overseeing PLC programs, involvement in community activities has played a significant role in Ken’s professional life. He is a member of the California Commission on Access to Justice’s Funding Committee and Public Policy Committee. He previously served as the Commission’s Vice-Chair and Chair of its Funding Committee. He has also served on various California Judicial Council, State Bar and OCBA committees.  Ken is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. with highest honors, Political Science 1978) and the University of California, Davis (J.D. 1981) where he was the Legal Research Editor of the Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board.