Political Quotes

“I have friends on both sides of this argument. I understand there are merits on both sides of the argument. But let me give you my humble opinion as a guy who used to practice law in the barrio in San Diego about 5 blocks south of Chicano Park in half of a barber shop. There is merit to the argument that Legal Services did go far past the bounds that we set for them when we first initiated this program. We know that we had legal services to get Aunt Flossie's car out of hock, to do domestic law, allow people to have access to court for personal injury when they did not have the up front money that was necessary if they went to a paid lawyer. But what some legal services devolved into was a legal services operation that went for the sexier lawsuits. They liked the class action suits. They like innovating, and they liked lawsuits that drew headlines. And they liked to move away from what I call the ham and eggs things. I think we have to strike a balance. I think the money that we have in the bill right now is a balance. It does balance the need to have legal services for people who cannot afford them, but it also leaves a little need there so the local bars will step forward and pick up the slack. One thing that I say as a lawyer who never got any Government money was the fact that when you do have these Government programs, you do have a lessening of the private bar's interest in protecting the poor and in doing pro bono suits.”