Thanks to This Sewer Rat, New York Will Now Require Future Attorneys to Perform 50 Hours of Free Work:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/19/us-usa-lawyers-newyork-idUSBRE88I14K20120919
On September 19, 2012, Reuters published a piece from reporters Daniel Wiessner and Joseph Ax, with the headline “New York says lawyers-to-be must work 50 hours for free.” Take a look at this excerpt:
“Aspiring lawyers in New York State must perform 50 hours of free legal work to gain entry to the state bar under a first-of-its-kind requirement handed down on Wednesday aimed at expanding access to the legal system for the poor.
The rule, written by New York's top-ranking judge, takes effect in 2015 and applies to all future law school students and those currently in their first or second years. Existing third-year students are exempt.
Chief [Cockroach] Jonathan Lippman estimated the requirement will add as much as 500,000 hours of pro bono service each year. Only 20 percent of the need for legal services is being met in New York, he said, even though state officials this year agreed to double funding for legal service programs to $25 million.” [Emphasis mine]
Who doesn’t look forward to participating in forced “volunteerism”?!?! Notice that this requirement DOES NOT APPLY to currently-licensed New York attorneys. Of course, advocates for legal aid to the poor are thrilled. By the way, isn’t it nice that Boomers and old fossils do not need to engage in this program – even though this group is in the best position, personally and financially – to perform pro bono work?!?!
Near the end of the article, the authors were kind enough to mention the attorney glut in passing:
"We didn't want to force people to leap tall buildings in a single bound to perform this service," Lippman said. "(But) pro bono is a part of the core values of our profession. Lawyers, or those aspiring to be lawyers, have to embrace those core values."
Last year, there were 15,000 applicants to the New York bar.
The requirement comes as law students, many of whom graduate with heavy debt, face an uncertain job market.” [Emphasis mine]
Does anyone think that this reality even entered Jonathan Lippman’s decaying mind, before he issued this opinion?!?!
Additional Coverage of This Filthy, Vile Edict:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/nyregion/pro-bono-work-becomes-a-requirement-to-practice-law-in-new-york.html?_r=0
Take a look at Mosi Secret’s September 19, 2012 piece for the New York Times. The piece was entitled “Judge Details a Rule Requiring Pro Bono Work by Aspiring Lawyers.” Read the following portion:
“When the judge, Jonathan Lippman, proposed the rule in May, some in the legal community said it might be burdensome for new lawyers in a tough economy. Others voiced concerns about using those new to the profession to fill what Judge Lippman calls the justice gap: the growing number of people who cannot afford legal services.
But an advisory committee that formulated the final version of the rule answered some of those criticisms: students have a full three years to complete the work and they must be under the counsel of more experienced lawyers.
“I see absolutely no reason why aspiring lawyers can’t do this without greatly burdening themselves,” Judge Lippman said in an interview. He added, “This idea that you have to be a lawyer with 25 years experience to provide a service doesn’t make any sense to me.” [Emphasis mine]
If you had any doubts as to whether Lippman considered the impact on new lawyer hopefuls, the piece of trash just dispelled them with that statement. Of course, this career leech/bureaucrat relied on an advisory committee to make the final touches on his judicial decree. Because these idiots have all the answers to the world’s problems, right?!?!
The Pig’s Background:
http://www.nycourts.gov/admin/directory/lippman_jonathan.shtml
From the bastard’s bio:
“Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, was appointed by Governor Paterson in January 2009 and confirmed by the New York State Senate in February 2009.”
What would you expect from someone appointed by a corrupt, blind man?!?! Later, the description contained this nugget:
“Chief Judge Lippman received his B.A. in 1965 from New York University, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1968.”
Yes, I’m sure that this old fart can relate to debt-strapped, broke-ass JDs!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lippman
According to this Wikipedia entry, Cockroach Jonathan Lippman was born on May 19, 1945. Perhaps it is a mere coincidence that this new requirement does not extend to those who already have a license – especially the old fossils who can presumably afford to donate their time and effort.
Conclusion: The courts and state bar associations DO NOT give one damn about you, the recent law graduate or the current law student. These political groups merely want to ensure that the scam continues. Before any of you lemmings dismiss this as applying to only one state, keep in mind that New York and California often chart the course for other states and regions. Do you want to be strapped down with $150K in additional NON-DISCHARGEABLE debt and be forced to perform 50 hours of free work for indigent clients - before you can even be allowed to sit for the New York bar exam?! As if these demons have not ass-raped you enough!
