Access.

I read the article "Access Commission Seeks Permanency" in the July 15 News, with a lot of incredulity. What is incredible is that there has never been a higher ratio of attorneys to the general population. In Florida there is one employed attorney to approximately every 372 residents (that includes those below 18 years). There is--needless to say--a lot of competition. So, why the problem?

I believe that lower quality and availability of legal services to the poor and moderate income individuals is mostly rooted in two causes. One is competition among attorneys, and the other is advertising. In years gone by, a socially conscious attorney more easily found lucrative work to grab onto. With the other hand, the socially conscious attorney was able to reach down and lift up litigants in need of legal services they could not otherwise afford. Now days, lucrative work often goes to those who advertise, which is expensive and time- consuming.

The effective rate of return to the socially conscious attorney is thus diminished by lowered fees to stay competitive, time and money spent advertising, and time and money campaigning for work at social functions.

A true socially conscious attorney proceeds with the conviction that once they take the first step they might be in for a marathon. But, opposing counsel...