These are the words of constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe, who joined the Justice Department as Senior Counselor for Access to Justice earlier.

1. Legal Daily News Feature
What Does Access to Justice Really Mean?
By Joshua Nave
‘’Access to justice for all is at the core of our nation’s values’’
03/17/10 the government to provide a legal defense for those who
can not afford it in the landmark case Gideon v Wainwright
These are the words of (http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1962/1962_155).
constitutional law scholar Laurence
Tribe, who joined the Justice Now the ideals of Gideon are being shortchanged, according
Department (http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2010/02/26_ to this article(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/
tribe.senior.counselor.html) as Senior Counselor for Access to nyregion/16defenders.html?scp=2&sq=glaberson&st=cse)
Justice earlier this month. His mission at the DoJ is to improve in the New York Times. In a class action suit headed to New
indigent defense, enhance the delivery of legal services to the York’s highest court next week, the plaintiffs are arguing that
poor and middle class, and identify and promote alternatives simply providing an attorney is not sufficient to meet the
to court-intensive and lawyer-intensive solutions. state’s constitutional obligation. The plaintiffs allege that the
court appointed attorneys lack the time, funding, or in some
Access to the courts is important in both civil and criminal cases the basic legal skills necessary to provide an adequate
matters. In civil matters, access to legal means of dispute defense. The state is vigorously opposing the suit, saying ‘’It
resolution provides stability to society by providing a cannot be seriously contended that plaintiffs have been denied
non violent way to settle disputes. When those doors are the right to counsel’’. This argument is a difficult one to make
effectively barred by the costs involved then people will find since the state is defending a system that a 2006 commission
other ways to settle arguments. In criminal matters, the Court said did not provide adequate representation to a large portion
recognized that our 6th amendment right to counsel requires of those entitled to it.
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