Art Read, General Counsel, Justice at Work Pennsylvania, Recognized with NLADA Award
Arthur N. “Art” Read, General Counsel at Justice at Work Pennsylvania, was selected to by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) as a recipient of the 2026 Reginald Heber Smith Award.
The Reginald Heber Smith Award is presented at NLADA's National Conference, and recognizes the dedicated services and outstanding achievements of civil or indigent defense attorneys while employed by organizations supporting such services.
The award may be given up to two years after the attorney's termination of employment with the organization. The "Reggie" is named for the author of the first definitive examination of the unfair administration of justice and its effect on the poor, Justice and the Poor, which was published in 1919.
Art Read has most recently served as General Counsel of justice at Work PA from 1982 to 2026. Over a 50-year career in labor and employment law, Read has dedicated more than four decades to representing migrant and seasonal farmworkers and farmworker organizations.
He has also conducted extensive research and analysis of agricultural labor and temporary foreign worker programs, including the H-2A and H-2B programs, and has served as an expert witness in numerous cases. His career reflects a longstanding commitment to protecting the rights of farmworkers and advancing justice for low-wage workers.
Also receiving the 2026 Reginald Heber Smith Award is Dan Glazier, retired former Executive Director, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.
The awards will be presented during the NLADA Annual Conference being held November 4-7. 2026 in St. Louis, MO.