Group works to make justice accessible
 Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - Bangor Daily News

 HALLOWELL - The nation's promise of justice for all doesn't guarantee
equal access to legal services for everyone but maybe it should, according
to a group dedicated to improving access to justice in Maine.

 The Justice Action Group, composed of nearly 100 judges, lawyers, social
 service providers and representatives from advocacy groups, met Tuesday at
 Maple Hill Farm Inn to begin work on a plan that would break down barriers
 to justice. Participants will work in small groups over the next year,

 then issue a series of recommendations about how to improve the delivery
 of justice throughout the state.

 "Maine is at the forefront of addressing the legal needs of low-income
 Mainers," Sally Sutton, executive coordinator of JAG, said Tuesday. "But
 three out of four people still don't have access to legal services. The
 people at this meeting recognize something has to happen to change that.
 The question is how do we close that gap."

 The state provides an attorney to low-income defendants charged in
 criminal cases who could face jail time. Mainers involved in civil
 litigation have no such constitutional right, but legal aid agencies such
 as Pine Tree Legal Assistance and Legal Services for the Elderly do offer
 free legal service to one out of four individuals and families whose
 incomes are at 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines or below.
 According to information provided by JAG, about one-third of the state's
 residents qualify for free legal assistance, but there simply aren't
 enough services to meet the need.

 Ideas for addressing the problem that were suggested in small-group
 sessions Tuesday included:

-  Becoming the first state in the nation to fund court-appointed attorneys
   in civil cases.

-  Creating mobile justice centers to serve areas without public
   transportation.

 - Mandating the forgiveness of law school loan debt for lawyers who serve
   rural areas.

 - Changing the law that forbids anyone but lawyers from giving legal
   advice.

 - Developing a community dispute resolution center.

 - Educating the public about how the legal system works on public-access
   cable television channels.

- Advocating for the creation of more problem-solving courts using the
  drug court model that includes helping participants access social and
  medical services.

JAG's planning session was designed to build on work done in 1990 and
1994. Tuesday's meeting and work to be done over the next year is
sponsored by the Maine Bar Foundation, the Maine State Bar Association and
the Institute for Civic Leadership.

District Court Judge Ann Murray, who presides in Bangor, said Tuesday that

the meeting gave her the opportunity to think about justice in a different
way than she does from the bench.

"Here, justice can be looked at more broadly," she said during lunch.
 "It's been a wonderful experience to hear the ideas of people from several
 different disciplines and see their priorities."

Those working outside the legal system focused on increased education
about how the justice system works, and better communication between
social service and legal services providers. The need for more
court-trained interpreters for people who do not speak English and a more
consumer-friendly atmosphere in courthouses also were emphasized.

But funding greater access to justice will continue to be a major hurdle,
Judson Esty Kendall, who works for Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Bangor,
said Tuesday during a break. When he began working for the organization
more than 25 years ago, about 80 percent of its funding came from the
federal government.

Today, 41 percent, or $2.7 million of the $6.6 million spent annually for
civil legal aid in Maine, comes from Washington, D.C. The state
contributes more than $800,000, or 12 percent; court fees and fines make
up about $950,000, or 14 percent; more than $1 million, or 16 percent,
comes from private grants and contributions; and the rest of the funding
coming from contributions from lawyers and the interest on money lawyers
hold in trust for clients.

"Maine has done a pretty good job of funding legal service," Esty Kendall
said. "What has not increased in years is the federal portion. If we are
going to get an infusion of funds, it has to come from Washington and that
gets into the whole issue of funding priorities."

For information on JAG's project, visit www.mbf.org/justice.htm.

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Group works to make justice accessible