Cash Squeeze Said to Deny Legal Aid to Poor

NYTIMES ^ | 9/29/09 | John Schwartz

[mainestategop]

Nearly a million poor people continue to be denied representation in the nation’s courts because legal aid clinics lack sufficient financing, a federally supported legal agency reported Tuesday. “There still exists a substantial justice gap in this country,” said Helaine M. Barnett, president of the nonprofit agency, the Legal Services Corporation, which receives appropriations from Congress to support more than 900 legal aid offices for low-income clients in civil cases across the country.

[mainestategop]

SNIP

Meeting the needs of those currently turned away would require a doubling of federal aid, with commensurate increases from states and private groups, Ms. Barnett said, along with an increase in the contribution of free services from lawyers in private practice.

Really? I mean How much does this cost? aren't all lawyers obliged to offer their services?

[GeronL]

Legal Aid has been focusing on helping illegals and stuff lately.

Their budget has not gone down as far as I know.

[GeronL]

Defendants have the right to a free lawyer. Not plaintiffs and not in civil courts. Thats what Legal Aid does, I think.

[CarmichaelPatriot]

Isn’t taking cases on a pro-bono basis a requirement of the bar?

[Sgt_Schultze]

We need National Legal Care.

It's unfair that in the US, the poor cannot access the critical levels of American jurisprudence. All their rights descend from their access to the law. All their protections are locked out by high costs.

WHY IS AMERICA SO BLIND TO JUSTICE FOR THE LEAST OF US?

/ SARCASM

[Brilliant]

Obama’s fault. If he’d cut taxes like any sane person would have done, there would not have been such pressure for states to reduce the tax burden.

[pnh102]

Why don’t more lawyers step up to the plate and offer their services to the poor at no cost, just like how many doctors do now.

[GeronL]

I don’t know. How often would they have to do that?

[comitatus]

For many years, the Legal Services Corp has spent alot of its time and money on “social and economic justice” issues, filing class action suits and such. There was an effort made all the way back in the Reagan era to get the LSC to focus on, you know, actual cases for poor people—it went nowhere. I suspect they could easily handle every landlord tenant, insurance, tax dispute or other legitimate legal claim by actual poor US citizens for less then their current budget. (And, no, lawyers are not required to provide services for free to anyone, although many do-what, do you think one of the biggest donors to the Dembulbs would ever allow that kind of thing to go through?)

[a fool in paradise]

When is the gub’mint going to start carrying my car insurance and homeowner’s policy?

[massgopguy]

I know, let’s TAX Tort Lawyers to pay for Legal Aid.

[mainestategop]

I take it you think this is funny? Do you think its going to be funny when the left starts violating YOUR rights and you have no money? This is very important. The poor are entitled to equal protection under law. When that does not happen, we have a tyranny.

[a fool in paradise]

Soak the rich lawyers.

[a fool in paradise]

Social justice and economic justice are not about seeing everyone treated equally. They are about putting certain individuals on a pedastal and making excuses.

The wise latina has said that justice should not be blind and should choose sides with those who’ve been historically victimized.

[mainestategop]

There was an effort made all the way back in the Reagan era to get the LSC to focus on, you know, actual cases for poor people|

I actually wrote about this awhile back on my blog. Federal legal Aid was actually using taxpayer funds to support left wing causes. When Chaim Ben Pesach was on trial, he got a lawyer from these people. He mentioned that these people were bolshevik commies. They must have been so red that even Stalin would be mortified.

[mainestategop]

Can we soak the ACLU?

[mainestategop]

I know but what if you have say someone who has their money taken away by abusive relatives and the police refuse to do anything about it? What about people like Sebastian peters?What about People scammed by the system for being part of a certain catagory? Or if the government is responsible? What happens when a person has property or rights violated and has no lawyer. The sixth amendment even says its a right to have an attorney. This is different from national health care. This is about keeping government in its place and keeping evil at bay. When the poor do not have legal resources, evil is allowed to triumph.

Just think of what an advantage this is to Barack and the Democrats. On the one hand they are championing the little guy but in reality they are very happy.

[Teacher317]

And, no, lawyers are not required to provide services for free to anyone, although many do-what, do you think one of the biggest donors to the Dembulbs would ever allow that kind of thing to go through?

So you favor slavery then? Forcing certain individuals to work for the benefit of others with no compensation is not right, not matter how unpopular their DC lobby group.

[ken21]

gosh, isn’t that a shame?

i wonder how many working americans cannot afford adequate legal representation?

[sniper63]

Lets, have ACORN, SEIU, NAACP, ACLU and Michael Moore give 90% of their capitalist income for this worthy cause.