Recruiting Retiring Lawyers for Public Service in New York State
As casualties of the recession, more and more individuals and families are unable to afford legal counsel for civil matters – like home foreclosures, debt collection actions, and divorces – that could have a huge impact on their welfare. The extraordinary strain on the civil legal services community’s infrastructure, and also on courthouse staffs, has been documented in Washington, DC, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, and elsewhere.
Yesterday’s New York Times reports that in a effort to make more legal services available to New Yorkers in need, the state hopes to attract retired attorneys to a new volunteer program, matching them with legal services providers to work with clients.
“…officials changed the state’s rules this week to add a new category of lawyer, attorney emeritus, that will free lawyers of some burdens of full-time practice, like paying for malpractice insurance, while channeling them to dozens of legal programs around the state that represent low-income people without charge. Until now, lawyers were required to register with the state as either active or retired.”
According to a NYC Legal Aid Society attorney who sees potential in the project, the Society “was turning away eight of every nine people who come to it seeking legal help in civil cases.” Recruiting experienced practitioners to help narrow the justice gap and to aid clients in efficiently navigating the court system could pay dividends for overextended public interest lawyers, judges, and courthouse officials.