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 Letters to the 106th Congress September 28, 2000 The Honorable Harold Rogers The Honorable Jose Serrano |
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
BAR PRESIDENTS C/O American Bar Association Division for Bar Services 541 N. Fairbanks Court Chicago, IL 60611-3314 | ||
| Re: | FY 2001 Funding for the Legal Services Corporation, the Judiciary's Defender Services Program, and Judicial Compensation | ||
Dear Mr. Chairman and Senator Hollings: The membership of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) is comprised of every state and large metropolitan bar association in the country, as well as over 250 additional local bar associations. Legal Services Corporation On behalf of the NCBP, I urge your support for increased funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). State and local bar associations throughout the country strongly support their local legal aid program, whose core funding is provided by the Legal Services Corporation, as an essential component of a system to deliver civil legal services to the 35 million Americans who live in poverty. The bar associations are actively involved in this public/private partnership. The bars raise private funds for the local programs and their members work with the local legal aid program to provide pro bono representation to the poor. Yet, despite the combined efforts of the organized bar and the local legal services programs, only 20 percent of the legal needs of the poor are being met. As the 106th Congress works to finalize the FY 2001 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, H.R. 4690, the NCBP urges you and your colleagues on the CJS Subcommittee to do all you can to ensure that LSC receives no less than $340 million. Funding at this level is necessary to continue the bipartisan national commitment to the poorest members of our society that equal justice under the law is not a hollow phrase. Defender Services Program The NCBP also urges you to support the Judiciary's request for adequate funding to implement a flat $75 hourly rate for "panel attorneys" who represent indigent defendants under the Criminal Justice Act. The Judicial Conference has reported that inadequate pay rates for panel attorneys has seriously hindered the ability of the federal courts to recruit experienced and competent counsel to take appointments. A modest increase to a flat $75 per hours is essential to ensure adequate representation for those accused of crime and to maintain the integrity of our criminal justice system. When you meet with your Senate colleagues to finalize H.R. 4690, we urge you to approve the Judicial Conference's recommendation of a flat $75 per hour rate. Judicial Compensation The National Conference of Bar Presidents is convinced that the public and our justice system are best served if Article III judges receive cost-of-living salary adjustments. Consequently, the NCBP urges that you retain the language of Section 304, as approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which, pursuant to section 140 of Public Law 97-92, affirmatively authorizes a cost-of-living adjustment for justices and judges. If passed, this would be only the third COLA for judges since 1993, a situation which has resulted in a 13% erosion in the actual purchasing power of their salaries. Please do not hesitate to contact me if the NCBP can provide additional information. Very truly yours, Laurel G. Bellows
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