In the interview, Hulett “Bucky” Askew recalls how he first got involved with legal services during law school at Emory in Atlanta, Georgia, when he worked in the Atlanta Legal Aid Office as part of his requirements for graduation. He discusses how he went to Washington, DC, to work for the OEO Legal Services Program in early 1969 as the Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Health Affairs, which he called the “most formative and critical experience” of his life. He became friends with Dan Bradley, who had just completed the Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer program. Dan Bradley encouraged Mr. Askew to return to Atlanta with him. Mr. Askew discusses his work as Deputy Regional Director of OEO Legal Services in Atlanta, and as the first Regional Director for the Atlanta region at LSC and later Deputy Director of Field Services.

Mr. Askew talks about the political difficulties to secure funding in light of governors who vetoed the OEO legal programs, and discusses the concept of “snow” funding that was used to fund the Georgia Legal Services office in 1971 and other legal services offices along the way. The interview also covers the law suit challenging Howard Phillips’ appointment as head of Legal Services (LSC) (Williams v. Phillips, 482 F.2d 669 (D.C. Cir. 1973)), and the transition from the OEO to LSC. Mr. Askew details how he helped to secure additional LSC funds for underserved programs in Region 6 (southeast) during the late 1970s when the LSC budget grew significantly.

Mr. Askew details conflicts with local bar associations, and recalled his work in the Office of Field Services in Washington, DC, beginning in 1978, where he worked closely with Clinton Lyons. He describes the structure of the LSC, as well as key issues of the time, including the delivery systems study, the research institute, training issues, as well as the structure of the LSC. He also discusses the crisis of the LSC during the President Reagan administration. At the end of the interview, Mr. Askew talks about his work as the Executive Director of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism and Director of the Office of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of Georgia.