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Bernard L. Segal (1907–1997) was best known for his advocacy for the poor. He served as first assistant defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia as well as the president of the American Bar Association (1969-1970), a position that he held during his work in the civil rights movement.

After graduation from University of Pennsylvania Law School, he served as deputy attorney general in Pennsylvania before going into private practice at the firm now known as Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis. Segal was a U.S. Supreme Court advocate, arguing nearly 50 cases in front of the country’s highest court. 

Segal was a ground-breaking lawyer in providing access to legal services for the indigent. He chaired the Advisory Committee on the National Legal Services Program under President Lyndon B. Johnson.