In 1993, Richard J. Medalie, a successful Washington lawyer, wrote to his fellow Harvard Law School classmates to solicit their involvement in “an exciting development” that had occurred during their 35th Reunion. “Members of their Class,” he reported, “voted to establish a Class of 1958 sponsored and funded foundation to help organize, establish, and guide state centers for law in the public interest throughout the country.”

Thus was launched an entity stemming from discussions that had been germinating for several years amongst Medalie and a group of fellow Harvard-trained lawyers who sought a new approach to pro bono legal organizations. Their strategy was to focus on broad systemic social initiatives, rather than the traditional model of providing legal services to individuals.

Appleseed was founded in 1993 by members of Harvard Law School’s class of 1958 at their 35th reunion. Founding member Richard Medalie reported to his classmates:

Members of their Class voted to establish a Class of 1958 sponsored and funded foundation to help organize, establish, and guide state centers for law in the public interest throughout the country. They have called the entity formed to carry on this program Appleseed because their concept is to plant a seed from which a public service activity involving lawyers, young and old, can grow and develop across the country.

From the outset Appleseed was framed around what was then a singular approach to pro bono law. Its strategy was to address issues that lent themselves to system-wide reform rather than the traditional model of providing legal services to individuals with legal problems. While litigation is one tool used by some of the Appleseed Centers, the organization tends to focus on achieving structural changes through market-based reforms, policy analysis and research, legislation, and rule making.

Elizabeth Cavendish is the organization's president. She succeeded Linda Singer, who guided Appleseed for 13 years prior to becoming Attorney General of the District of Columbia. The current co-chairs of the organization's board of directors are Eric Koenig, retired from Microsoft and Susan Haller of Sprint Nextel.