Nationalizing Lawyers

Perhaps the time has come to reign in runaway legal fees. Obama is in the act of nationalizing healthcare for our benefit, so while he's at it, maybe it's time to look at the legal system as well.

There is not a lot of difference, operationally, between Doctors and Lawyers from the viewpoint of the average citizen. When you need a doctor and have no money, it is mandated (at least in Texas) that hospitals cannot refuse to treat you. Then there are the tax supported charity hospitals that provide free service to indigent people in need of healthcare.

The legal system is not much different. People without the ability to pay can get help at any number of pro bono services in Texas. These services are especially available to illegal immigrants through many Catholic outlets, YMCA, and various Universities. The majority of free services depend on the politics du jour. Battered women, illegal immigrants, anti-conservative causes, matters pertaining to drug abuse, and abortion rights all make up political causes readily available to the poor. Both sides of the political spectrum are represented but comparatively speaking, more help is available for left wing causes than the pro bono offerings for conservative causes.

Legal services generally (but not always) avoided by pro bono groups include family law (child custody especially), divorce settlements, corporate and business law services, and quality criminal defense.

Most lawyers deserve to be the butt end of those jokes so often recited about them. But make no mistake, when you need the services of an attorney, there is no place to go except to an attorney. Lawyers hold the same club as do doctors. Doctors realize that when you are sick, you need a doctor. The same holds true for an attorney.

The government is working hard to bring about single payer healthcare, so while they are at it, why not single payer legal fees. A person should have the right to go to the lawyer of his choice just like his/her ability to choose a doctor. The difference would be national legal insurance that all lawyers would have to participate in, willing or not. Their fees would be negotiated with the government. Those fees for the different services would be all inclusive, avoiding those side charges that eat up a legal service. Travel, hearing cancellations, additional legal submissions, and meals/entertaining expenses would all be a part of their negotiations. Then the lawyers would have to answer to oversight panels to judge their diligence on a case with their law license in the balance. The lawyers would still make money, just not from their hapless clients who know little about the affairs of the legal system. Any financial beef from the lawyers would be with the government. Appeals about the money value awarded to a lawyer by the government would go to a panel of at least 50% non-lawyers with the chairmanship permanently held by a non-lawyer. No more percentage based claims for lawyers. The client's settlement would be the amount received by the client.

Yep, Obama would do the country a service by pushing through the Equal Opportunity for Lawyers Act.

If it works for Doctors, it will work for lawyers. With a clients right to choose, the good lawyers will have plenty of business. Remember, law schools not only turn out law scholars, but they also turn out the rest of the pack. Those lawyers that finish in the bottom third of their class rankings would be relegated to doing paralegal work instead of milling around the courthouse looking for easy tax dollars.

Tongue in cheek-

Cheers,

-Robert-

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