Attepmting to obtain justice 4 All
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GREENSBORO -- The North Carolina Bar Association’s new president has a plan to strengthen the state’s Legal Aid program, a program which helps those in the community who can’t afford legal representation themselves.
Working with those dealing with custody battles, home foreclosures and other such civil suits, three million North Carolinians qualify for the Legal Aid program under federal poverty guidelines.
But according to NCBA President Janet Ward Black, Legal Aid is forced to turn down eight out of 10 people who are qualified for the service due to a lack of staffing.
Jennifer Bell was one of the lucky ones, receiving aid through a women’s abuse shelter in Asheboro.
Bringing Justice 4 All.
“I didn’t have any money,” said Bell. “I was a lower income, single mother, very young in my 20s, and trying to find myself a good lawyer to help me get out of the domestic situation that I was in. Not only myself, but my children.”
Ward Black says the problem falls outside the realm of court-appointed attorneys.
“If you're charged with drunk driving, the court has to appoint you a lawyer if you live in poverty, but if someone's trying to take away your children or your house, you're not entitled to a lawyer because that's considered a civil matter,” said Ward Black.
Ward Black said 80 percent of Legal Aid’s clients are working poor with an average income of little more than $9,000. But she worries that the money coming from the legislature and other sources to help run the program just can’t keep up with the growing demand.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of individuals living in poverty increased in many parts of the state between the years of 2000-2005. That number rose 35 percent in Cabarrus County, as well as in Raleigh. In Greensboro, the number increased 41 percent.
“Currently, Legal Aid is able to represent, with 100 lawyers, about 30,000 North Carolinians a year,” said Ward Black. “So if we could double the number of lawyers that would increase to 60,000.”
The Justice 4 All initiative is holding a number of events coming up, including a public summit in Raleigh by N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Parker on October 12. Another event, held April 4, 2008, will allow people to ask a lawyer any legal question at no cost over the phone.
For more information, click 4 All.