[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


PROTECT EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL--DON'T CUT THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

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                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 3, 1995
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Legal Service 
Corporation, and in opposition to the destructive 30 percent cut of 
that program in the Commerce-State-Justice appropriations bill.
  Mr. Speaker, a bedrock principle of this Nation is equal justice for 
all. But we all know that access to justice for ordinary Americans 
usually means access to legal counsel.
  Often, the most vulnerable among us--those most in need of legal help 
and representation--cannot afford an attorney. That is why the Supreme 
Court ruled everyone has a right to a lawyer in a criminal case, and it 
is why President Nixon founded the Legal Service Corporation to offer 
low-income Americans representation in civil court.
  Mr. Speaker, when this House voted to slash funding for the Legal 
Service Corporation, in my view it voted to restrict access to justice 
for the over 15 percent of Americans who live in poverty. Mr. Chairman, 
that is unconscionable.
  Legal services attorneys were there for family farmers who couldn't 
afford high-priced, downtown lawyers, when they helped prevent over 
250,000 illegal farm foreclosures. In Vermont and across this country, 
they are there for battered women seeking orders of protection, child 
support enforcement, and divorces from abusive spouses. These attorneys 
were there to safeguard coal miners' rights in Kentucky, and to protect 
Oregon farmworkers from beatings, kidnappings and illegally low wages.
  These public servants are funded by a model of efficiency and 
federalism. Only 3 percent of Legal Service Corporation expenditures go 
to administrative costs, meaning 97 percent goes directly to provide 
legal services for poor Americans. There is no large bureaucracy; the 
approximately 100 employees of the Corporation spend their time 
distributing Federal funds to 323 independent, local legal services 
programs and ensuring they receive the support needed to deliver top 
notch legal level help. Each individual program is a private, nonprofit 
corporation governed by a locally appointed board of directors.
  Mr. Chairman, the Legal Service Corporation simply extends equal 
rights and justice to all Americans; it does exactly what Government 
should be doing. If we are serious about deficit reduction, we should 
cut the hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate welfare in the 
Federal budget. We should eliminate tax giveaways to the rich before we 
eliminate these protections for the most vulnerable members of our 
society.
  For the benefit of my colleagues, I ask unanimous consent to insert 
into the Record a resolution from the New England Bar Association board 
of directors, which succinctly makes the case for the Legal Service 
Corporation.
                      New England Bar Association


                     board of directors resolution

       Whereas, equal justice is fundamental to the American 
     system of government under laws; and
       Whereas, the inability to afford legal counsel effectively 
     denies access to justice for individuals with legal needs; 
     and
       Whereas, the New England Bar Association is strongly 
     committed to support adequate legal services for the poor; 
     and
       Whereas, the federal Legal Services Corporation is the 
     organization charged by Congress with funding legal services 
     programs throughout the country to deliver civil legal 
     services to the poor; and
       Whereas, local legal services programs funded by the Legal 
     Services Corporation represent the federal government's 
     effort to fulfill the promise that all Americans have an 
     equal opportunity to utilize the justice system, and
       Whereas, local legal services programs funded by the 
     federal Legal Services Corporation are a frugal and effective 
     expenditure of federal tax dollars, inexpensively and 
     efficiently serving a broad range of persons with typical 
     legal problems through more than 900 local offices and 
     effectively leveraging local, state and private funds as well 
     as pro bono services from the private bar, and
       Whereas, the future of the Legal Services Corporation is at 
     a critical juncture, facing Congressional threats to 
     eliminate or severely cut funding of the Legal Services 
     Corporation; and
       Whereas, it is imperative that bar associations and others 
     concerned with equal access to justice and legal services for 
     the poor continue to express support for the civil legal 
     services delivery system which has served the legal needs of 
     the country's poorest citizens; and
       Now, therefore, be it resolved that the New England Bar 
     Association Board of Directors urges all members of the 
     Congressional delegation to support adequate funding for the 
     Legal Services Corporation to address the tremendous unmet 
     need for civil legal services for the poor.
       Be it further resolved that the New England Bar Association 
     strongly opposes any amendments to the Legal Services 
     Corporation Act to restrict legal services and pro bono 
     programs in their use of IOLTA and other government and 
     private monies; create obstacles to low income people 
     obtaining justice in the courts and legal system; impinge on 
     confidentiality between attorneys and their clients; or 
     dismantle local control and destroy the effectiveness of the 
     current legal services delivery system.
     

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