Evening star., 1934-02-11
Demand for Free Legal Aid
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

An imrortant and significant phen-
omenon OF the years Of depression has
been the marked increase in the de-
mand for free legal aid by persons
unable to pay the fees of lawyers and
yet who require representation. The
lawyer Is made the butt Of many jibes
about his acquisitiveness and many an
epigram has been based on the danger
of going into court because of the
risk of the lawyers involved being the
only real victors in litigation. Never
theless, lawyers Of the United States
every year perform great many serv-
ices without charge.
In criminal matters when a man Is
unable to hire lawyer to defend him
the court appoints one who is paid
by the community a nominal fee.
Many young lawyer has obtained his
first case by receiving an assignment
from the court to defend some hapless
person. Civil cases are another mat
ter, but the spirit of a democracy so
strongly favors that every man be
given his day in court that lawyers
have volunteered to perform the
necessary services.
This is done chiefly through the
legal aid societies of the country. The
Oldest Is the New York Legal Aid So
ciety. This body was organized In
1876 and since that time its members
have handled thousands Of cases. An
ioea Of how useful such a body is to
the public obtaining its benefits may
be gained from the statement that
out OF 10000 cases handled by the
New York Society collections we're
made on behalf of free clients
amounting to Sl44,798. The bare cost
Of performing the work was S141.6l8.
1t will be seen that If the individuals
had been required to pay lawyers fees
they could not have afforded to 60 to
court for redress. Another set of
cases applies to persons not seeking 10
collect sums due but prove that they
are not indebted for sums demanded.
Not few Of these free cases relate
to some low-paid individual who is
turned of with a small balance owing
him by an employer who seeks 70
evade responsibility The amount
would not warrant employment of a
lawyer and yet, even If only a few
dollars. would mean much to the de-
frauded worker. The value of legal
aid society in such case can scarcely
be over-estimated. Whether or not
the individual can obtain free legal
aid is likely to make the entire differ
ence between his receiving what is due
him and not. In not few cases, all
that Is needed Is for the legal aid
society to write letter to the en-
ployer. Sometimes cases are taken 10
court.
Equal Opportunity for Justice.
The second Oldest legal aid society
is the Chicago Legal Aid Bureau
which was established in 1885. This
organization shows an even better
record than the New York one in co.
lecting sums due impoverished clients
The cost was less than half the value
Of the accounts collected.
Altogether there are about IS oi
these organizations and all save those
of New York and Chicago have beer
in existence not longer than 1900. As
| the demand for such assistance has
increased during the depressed years
new bodies have been instituted. With
in the last year such bodies have be.
gun to function in Dayton, Ohio;
Jacksonville, Fla; Muskegon, Mich;
Sacramento, Calf; Indianapolis
Washington, New Orleans and the
Panama Canal Zone.
Taking the work since 1920 under
purview, 1t Is found that there has
been a steady gain in the number Of