A helping hand for anyone that needs a civil lawyer but can't afford one...

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Usually lawyers are only a vehicle that allows wealthy people to sue less fortunate folks. If you find yourself without funds and in need of a dedicated lawyer, check out this link:

Text

http://www.lawhelp.org/

[Jeffersons Ghost]

1. kick

[fed-up]

2. Found this after 5pm-I'll let you know if I find help w/my former meth lab problem nt

[Suich]

3. Very helpful, for those in need.

:kick:

[davsand]

4. You DO realize that is a project of Legal Services?

Most of the actual delivery of services is done by local legal service organizations funded by LSC. What that means, in reality, is that you will get zero help from them unless you are at or below poverty level.

It also means that only specific types of cases are accepted--usually divorces that are uncontested and without custody issues. In some areas, they do accept other civil legal type stuff--like consumer issues or maybe even adoptions (in rare cases) but this will NEVER provide any assistance with any sort of criminal issue. I do know that at one point they were focusing on helping with Orders of Protection in Domestic Violence cases, but I have No idea if that is still a priority.

I am not slamming on LSC employees, but I will tell you that legal Services are mostly just for show because they get minimal funding. One of the first things to get cut in a tight budget is LSC funding--and the GOP has (For the most part, anyway) NEVER put much priority on access to justice for the poor.

There are several lawyers out there that are unsung heroes--they do pro bono work when they can. In my experience, LSC (generally speaking) does jack squat to help make it easier to actually DO volunteer legal work. In some cases I have even seen local legal service actively work AGAINST pro bono programs due to odd turf wars.

Sorry. I have minimal hope for institutional help for anybody who is poor and dealing with legal issues. Your best bet is find a lawyer with a soul or else a local pro bono program that is NOT associated with legal services.


Regards,



Laura

[bobbolink]

5. Thank you for saying it how it IS, Laura! It's bleak, indeed, and thinking there

are easy answers, and poor people just won't "help themselves" is so damaging.

Finding those who have a conscience and actually do pro bono work is...... well, I wouldn't even know where to begin...

I'm grateful to you for saying all this!

:pals:

[davsand]

6. Check at your local law school.

I know it sounds odd, but many law schools have legal clinics staffed by 3rd year law students with faculty oversight. If they do not have a law clinic, I bet they can probably tell you about any pro bono projects in that area.

I will tell you that for every lawyer that jokes about pro bono, there are two or three that probably have an open pro bono case on their desk someplace EVERY day. The Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court once gave a speech where he urged ALL attorneys to aspire to that. It was a heck of a speech, and I actually tracked down a hard copy of the text because it was SO amazing.

The ABA (American Bar Association) at one point had an "aspirational goal" for attorneys that they should provide 40 hours of pro bono service per year. I dunno about you, but not many folks would be too thrilled to give up a week of vacation to do their usual job for free. Lawyers are no exception to the expectation (or hope) of an annual vacation.

You have got to figure that lawyers are NOT all sharks in suits, and they are not all angels--kind of like DUers. I know guys that wear expensive suits and play golf at the right club several times a week. Some of them do a hell of a lot of pro bono work. I also know guys that can barely meet the overhead on the office, and they refuse to talk to anybody unless there is a check on their desk. They can argue it is a matter of economics, but somehow, I have never really felt they understood what makes the practice of law special.

It sucks to be poor in this country, but I have got to say it REALLY sucks to be poor and in need of legal help. Most folks are at a horrible disadvantage if they walk into court without a lawyer. Judges don't take them seriously, and more often than not they get railroaded simply as a matter of expedience. (I am not EVEN gonna start on stuff like collections and medical debt--THAT aspect of our legal system should make every single person in this country screaming mad.)

Sorry for the rant, but it is nice to be able to vent sometimes.


Laura