Oregon Legal Research Blog
From Richard Zorza’s Access to Justice blog:
California Bar Explores Joining Movement for Non-Lawyer Practice
California, Washington, and New York are featured in this article on the movement to allow people who cannot afford attorneys “to receive low-cost guidance in simpler legal matters by qualified non-lawyers.”
Excerpt: “…. Although legal aid, pro bono service and court-employed family law facilitators all try to fill this gap, too many people need legal assistance and simply cannot afford it at today’s legal market rates.
“We’ve created somewhat of a black market,” she said. “We are simply not serving the vast majority of citizens when it comes to their legal needs.
A limited licensing program, in addition to helping clients, would create an avenue of employment for law school graduates and legal technicians who haven’t passed the bar, board members said.
Engaging in limited practice might be an avenue to eventually becoming a qualified lawyer….” [Link to full blog post.]