Closing the Access to Justice Gap… In a Mall
From Huffington Post:
. . . [Attorney Melva] Rozier founded a new type of law firm — or rather, a law store — inside the Boynton Beach Mall near West Palm Beach, Fla. The Law Booth counsels walk-in clients on divorce, foreclosure and other legal topics at discounted rates from a kiosk planted between American Eagle Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret shops. . . .
While lawyers can play a crucial role in helping those in need, the cost of their services is out of reach for many Americans. Free
legal services, offered by nonprofit organizations, typically serve only those most destitute, while private law firms tend to charge expensive fees. A 2011 survey by the World Justice Project called the U.S. judicial system “inaccessible to disadvantaged groups,” ranking it 52 out of 66 countries when it comes to “access to civil justice.” . . .In Rozier’s regular law office, clients schedule appointments in advance and pay an initial $125 fee for a consultation. At the Law Booth, they can walk in at, say, 8 p.m. on a Saturday, sit in a chair, eat a pretzel and consult her or one of her two partners for a fee that starts at $25. People can stop in for preparation of a will, advice about starting a business or questions about bankruptcy or a personal injury matter.
The idea for the Law Booth grew out of Rozier’s experiences of working with clients affected by foreclosure. Palm Beach County has the fourth highest number of foreclosures of any county in Florida — a state that ranks among the ones with the highest counts, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure database. Rozier started her career by representing clients at real estate closings, only to see her business “dissolve” when the real estate downturn hit, she said. “I started realizing how much people were hungry for information.” . . .
Some lawyers argue that the commercialization of legal services has changed the industry for the worse, causing a huge surge in claims and a culture of litigation as people try to sue for just about anything. Others say that marketing and advertising simply help disenfranchised people learn about services that they wouldn’t otherwise know about.
“Allowing access [to lawyers] has been a great benefit for the community,” said Richard Carey, 28, one of Rozier’s two partners at the Law Booth. “We want to be where the people are. If people are shopping at 4 a.m., we want to make sure we’re there.”
Read more here.
Thoughts?