In stepped Central California Legal Services, which represented the Stidhams at no cost and forced the creditor to dismiss the civil case.

Monday, the Stidhams received the agency's Champions of Justice award for taking a stand against the creditor, a move that could let others know there is help available for low-income residents.

More than 350 people attended the awards luncheon in downtown Fresno, marking the agency's 40th year of providing free legal service to people combating domestic violence, wrongful termination, illegal debt collection and other civil matters.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George was the keynote speaker and the first recipient of the agency's Ronald M. George Equal Justice Award.

George said the United States has a beautiful Constitution, but many people don't get to use it because they can't afford a lawyer.

While criminals have a right to a free lawyer, individuals involved in civil disputes don't. This failure has caused people to unjustly lose their jobs, homes and sometimes their children, the chief justice said.

He then praised the agency's 40 years of commitment to the less fortunate, saying, "You give them a stake in our system of justice."

Legal services has offices in Fresno, Merced, Visalia and Hanford and serves a diverse population of Valley residents, many of them non-English speakers, said executive director Chris Schneider.

The agency represented nearly 6,000 clients with a budget of about $5 million, Schneider said. But the agency is under pressure, Schneider said, because it depends on government grants and donations.

Nationwide, grant money for free legal services has dropped from $400 million in 1996 to $320 million today, even though more people are being served, said Schneider, who called on the legal community and others for financial help.

"They give meaning to our work," Schneider said of clients who stand up against domestic violence, slumlords and unscrupulous creditors.

In addition to the Stidhams, Champions of Justice awards were given to:

Judy Horn, a volunteer in Kings County for more than 12 years. She organized after-school and Saturday programs for children and helped found the Kings Partnership for Children, a nonprofit group that obtained a grant from First 5 Kings County to establish the county's first family resource center.

Judge Gary Hoff of the Fresno County Superior Court, who spearheaded programs that have expanded access to the justice system for low-income and non-English-speaking litigants. One program helps Spanish speakers navigate the civil, family law and probate court systems. Another program features a motor home equipped with self-help court services that travels to rural areas.

Elizabeth "Liz" Rodriguez, who has worked for legal services for more than 22 years, helps clients with paperwork and takes them home or to court.

Project First Step , a joint effort of the Fresno County Women Lawyers, the Marjaree Mason Center, the county Bar Association's Pro Bono Services section and legal services, provides free representation to self-represented victims of domestic violence.