The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-12-04
". .. west...s.

$3.50 O1vAA AsAoASU0 ~0StA14AAAooAVAA
is off ON another survey design
ed to mearth real or fancied
bias against Negroes-this time
in the area Of legal rplesen-
tatiOn.
A vOlllminous. detailed quRs-
tiOnnaire Of nine pages with %
separate questiofls) has been
dispatched to a group of attor-
neyS chosen from a lawyers
directory according to objective
standards.
Just what those objective"
standards are, is not spelled out.
In at least one community
jackson. Miss however, the
questiOnnaireS have gone to at
torneyS who have moved into
the South from former residence
in the North.
In any event. the Civil Rights
Commission seeks not only sta
tistical data. but also 1.-The OPP
poltunity 10 benefit from your
personal views because as
a member Of the legal profess
sion your considered views are
of inestimable value"
Validity Questioned
These lawyers are not even
asked to sigh their names. The
question Immediately arises,
therefore. as to whether such a
survey will be valid, either in
quality or in quantity.
Furthermore, the suspicion
crops up that the results of the
survey will be used to promote
a preconceived point Of view al
ready advanced by the Civil
Right Commission = to wit.
that it is difficult for Negroes to
obtain adequate legal represen-
tatiOn in civil rights cases in the
South.
Many Of the questions, for ex-
ample. suggest that attorneys
who have represented Negro
clients in such cases have "suf-
tered as result" In order to
reduce that suffering" to spe-
clfic categories. the question
naire asks whether the suffer
ing took the form of ~ loss
OF clints, 2" social ostracism,
g. threats of physical violence,
or 4" other please specify"
Another category of the multi
pie choice questions concerns
the availability of legal counsel
to persons who are pressing
unpopular causes. Here is
how the Civil Rights Commits
sion goes at that particular is
sue.
Typical Question
$50. Would individuals in the
following groups in your county
have great difficulty obtaining
counsel in nonracial but never.
theless unpopular causes, for
example, in cases where a per
son is a plaintiff in a civil suit
to prevent the teaching of re.
ligion in public schools? (circle
answer or ans Wers wherein
great difficulty would exist.
ID Whites with money. 2
Whites with little or no money
81 Negroes with money. Negroe.
with little or no money. s. None
OF these groups would ordinaril,
have great difficulty obtainin,
counsel in such cases involvin,
unpopular causes.
The questlcnnaire also con
talns questions which go into tn,
matter of segregation in Law
schools, in bar associations. an,
the like.
It asks whether the law schoo
OF the recipient was "restricte,
to members Of your race?
How many Negro lawyers ar
now in active practice in you
county?' DO you feel tina
qualified Negroes are prevente,
from being admitted to the prac
tice Of law because of race?
and Are there any local Ba
Associations in your county tina
exclude Negroes from member
Ship?"
What's Behind It
Why is this QUESTIONABLE be
ing sent out?
Well, perhaps the Civil Right
Commission IS not getting tn
volume of business it expected
And how can one justify EN-
pire-building unless there is
great deal of work to be don,
and a great many people need
ed to do it?
After all. it seems old-fashion
ed these days simply to avail
the development of legal actor
on the part Of some agglieyet
person. Nowadays, litigation ~
most especially of the civi