Evening star., 1939-08-27

"" pi C!eSStOH HuS UOL SUC-
ceeded pery weH in discharging its
duty to proride the opportunity for
the comman man to secure justice
at a reasonable coSt."-Justice Hdr-
Ian F. Stone OF the United States
Supreme Court
Quietly, without fanfare of publicity
lawyers groups in New York, Chicago,
out plans to provide the opportunity
mentioned by Justice Stone
They are moving ahead quietly in an
effort to prevent sniping by some ele
ments within the legal profession and
perhaps the public itself before the case
for cheap law for the little man" is
ready for presentation to the court of
public opinion and the legal profession
at large.
They think the time has come to do
something about need, long recognized,
for everyday legal advice for a middle
group caught between free legal aid bu-
reaus and mahogany desk lawyers, for
the men who can pay modest sums but
must dig deeper into their pockets than
they can afford in order to pay prevail
ing legal fees.
In New York the local chapter of the
Lawyers Guild, the New York County
Lawyers Association and the City Bar
Association have approved in principle
plan for joint operation of legal serv-
ice bureau to supply answers to legal
questions to loWer-income groups at
moderate fees. Details are being worked
out by committee headed by William
Dean Embree.
Tentative plans are for establishment
OF a bureau in a central situation down.
town. with salaried manager in charge
His salary and Office expenses would be
paid with appropriations of the three
sponsoring organizations and voluntary
contributions from individual lawyers.
List Of Attorneys.
The bureau would compile list of
about 200 attorneys, selected on a basis
of experience, ability and need to whom
clients of the bureau would be referred
after the manager had learned the ma
ture of the case. The lawyers on the
panel would agree to handle legal mat
ters under moderate fee schedule fixed
by the committee. Reference in each in
stance would be to an attorney qualified
to give the particular type of service
needed.
Members of the committee hope to
tave the bureau in operation by october.
They look for expansion of the bureau
into sort of legal clinic with several
lawyers employed to give on-the-spot ad-
vice on minor legal matters. The clinic
would charge fees ranging from 81 to $40
and would refer more serious disputes to
q member of the lawyers panel. Like
medical clinics, it would limit its services
to persons in low-income groups.
In Chicago a similar plan is being
evolved by committee of the Chicago
Bar Association, headed by Walter T.
Fisher. 1t, too, contemplates legal aid
bureau with reference list of lawyers.
"At present. Fisher explained in
recent report, when man comes to the
bar association for lawyer he is handed
4 classified telephone directory. Under
our plan he will be interviewed briefly
by member of the associations staff to
ascertain the general nature of his case.
Clients requiring general consultation will
be given names of lawyers taken in rota-
zion from the roster of general consul
tants. If the case is deemed to lie in
special field, such as personal injury, the
clients will be referred to names similarly
taken in rotation from the list of lawyers
specially qualified in personal injury
eases.
Each prospective client will be asked
10 agree to make his own arrangement
rs to fees with the understanding that
the lawyer will charge SO for the first
half hour of consultation, not more than
k5 for the first hour and will submit any
dispute over fee to the associations
Committee on Professional Fees"
Legal Aid Office.
The report recommended establishment
Of such legal aid Office after arrange
merts had been made for financing it
and approval of the Illinois Supreme
Court had been obtained 1t suggested
eases might be handled on mass pro-
duction" basis both to supply the need
for inexpensive legal service and to make
the office self-supporting.
Meanwhile, the Chicago chapter of the
National Lawyers Guild announced
plans for legal aid bureau to supply
standardized legal services for persons of
small means. Proposed fees include 81
for the first half hour of conference, $3.50
for drawing papers on printed forms and
81 to S5 for other legal papers. Settle
ments would be handled for IS mini
mum plus 10 per cent of any amount
over $50 Retainer in criminal cases
would be $40.
The committee report observed that
there was widespread failure of the
public to resort to legal advice, appar-
. emily due in large measure to fear of
large fees. 1t suggested that the bu-
reau would demonstrate usefulness of
legal service in preparing legal docu-
ments on printed forms often filled in
by laymen. Services of the bureau as