Evening star., 1940-03-22
Help for Indigents
In LandIord-Ten
Court Is Mapped
Chest Case Worker,
Survey for FuII-Time
Lawyer Suggested

Suggestions for solving the prob
lens Of the thousands of INDECENT
defendants who pass through the
landlord and tenant branch Of Mu-
nicipal Court each year were ad-
vanced today by two jurists Of the
court.
Judge Nathan Cayton. in a memo
randum to his four colleagues, rec
commended that the board of Mu-
nicipal Court judges invite the
Community Chest to assign a case
worker to the court.
His action followed a meeting OF
interested social and civic leaders
called by the Washington Housing
Association yesterday at which j.
Bernard Wyckoff, president of the
association board, reported that
caseworker from suitable Chest
agency, such as the Family Service
Association, would aid materially
both the landlord and the tenant.
Volunteers for Survey.
Acting simultaneously, Judge FL
len Raedy sent a memorandum to
the Legal Aid Bureau asking If it
would be interested in making a
trial survey of the problems of in
digent persons in the court to see
If full-time lawyer is needed to
advise the defendants.
The memorandum, made public
at the third annual banquet of
board and staff member of the Legal
Aid Bureau in the Continental
Hotel, resulted in report by Bea-
trice Clephane, director of the bu-
reau, that several members of the
bureau would volunteer for the sur
vey.
Judge Raedy said today she had
informed Judge Cayton that she be-
lieved the legal and social problems
were so intermingled in most of
the cases that only a lawyer with
social service background could
straighten them out. Judge Cayton,
she said, had responded that he had
no objection to the caseworkers
also being a lawyer.
In his memorandum to the other
judges Judge Cayton said:
L recommend that we take
prompt action to invite the Com
munity Chest to assign a case work.
er to serve in the Landlord and
Tenant branch.
This matter has been under dis
cuSslon for some time and it has
become increasingly apparent that
something should be done to meet
the very pressing problems of the
10000 tenants a year whose cases
pass through our court. Their
problems have been and are social,
rather than legal, and have indi-
Gated a need for some means
whereby the social aspects of the
cases can be investigated and re-
ported to the court"
Continuing, he said:
1T seems to me that the natural
answer is to provide for the services
OF an experienced case worker who
Will serve as an arm of the court.
sitting at each session, obtaining
first-hand knowledge of worthy
cases, investigating and reporting to
the judge as to full circumstances,
contracting best agencies, relief and
other Government organizations and
generally implementing the work of
the court and providing further as
surance that no tenant shall be per-
mltted to suffer when the means
to prevent it are at hand"
President Hill Talks.
Principal speaker at the Legal
Aid Bureau banquet last night
was Francis w. Hill jr., presi-
dent of the District Bar Asso-
citation. who talked on new develop
ments in the legal world and had
word to say in favor OF the can
didacy of Seton Darr for Commits
sioner to succeed George E. Allen.
Mr.. Darr, new member Of the
Legal Aid Bureau Board OF Direc-
tor. was predecessor to Mr.. Hill as
bar association president.
Mr.. Hill quoted antequated pro-
visions of the District Code to illus
trate the need of revisions. He also
advocated legal clinic for persons
in the low-income group who can
pay small fees for legal advice and
expressed approval of standardized
forms for jury instructions which
are now being tried in California.
Guest of honor at the banquet
was Miss Lorena Galbraith, who re-
tired as secretary of the Legal Aid
Bureau March /, after five years
of service. She was presented with
a gift. n