ANN ARBOR -- Jim Harbaugh went back to Washington on Wednesday with a mission.

To continue his support for the Legal Services Corporation.

Harbaugh, a member of the LSC Leaders Council, had a chance to speak at a congressional hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building as the LSC unveiled its new report: "The Justice Gap: Measuring the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans."

Introduced by LSC board chairman John Levi, who first met Harbaugh during his time as a Chicago Bears quarterback, the Michigan head coach asked for fairness in the justice system.

Something he believes LSC helps provide.

"Many of you are probably wondering why a football coach is speaking at an event like this. I may be a football coach, but I am an American first and foremost -- and all Americans should care about equal access to justice," Harbaugh said. "To me, it's not just about Michigan -- go blue -- it's about 'go red, white and blue.'

"The issue is about fairness, fundamental fairness. As I see it, if you have money, you have access to justice. If you don't have money, you have less access to justice. That's not the way it should work."

Harbaugh, who says he's always been a fan of lawyers -- from several of his personal friends to the famous "Judge Judy" -- said he became involved with LSC after attending a forum that showed him how many Americans are "left out" of the justice system due to their inability to afford proper legal representation.

From there, he opted to become a member of the LSC Leaders Council and says he'll continue to do all he can to raise awareness for the organization -- which serves as the country's largest funder of legal aid for low-income Americans.

"I think of football and a team, and I think of our country being a team we're all on. Fairness on a football team is probably what you strive for the most. You may not treat everyone exactly the same, but you want to be fair to everybody on the team," Harbaugh continued. "It would be like only giving 20 percent of our (football team a helmet). The rest of the team doesn't get it. No protection. Run out there and play the game without a helmet and we'll see what happens. Guys get hurt.

"Then we'll talk about how 'this guy is hurt all the time.' Well, if you don't have the protection (it's not fair)."

Earlier this year, Harbaugh expressed his displeasure with President Donald Trump's reported budget plan that saw a cut to the LSC program -- which was established by Congress in the 1970s.

On Wednesday, he challenged leaders in Washington to continue to strive for fairness and to continue to support the LSC.

"I intend to work as best I can, not only as a member of the LSC's Leaders Council, but also as an American (to support this issue)," he said. "I challenge our lawmakers to take meaningful action towards narrowing the justice gap between those that can afford it and those that cannot.

"Equal access to justice is a founding principle that our America was built upon."