Access to
Justice
During the past 20 years, American society has become
increasingly dependent on the legal system to solve essential health,
family, housing, employment and business problems, as well as to remedy
civil and constitutional violations. Yet, only a small percentage of the
legal needs of low- and moderate-income people are being met by our
current legal system. Working with bar associations, legal services
providers, law schools, and many others, the Program on Law &
Society made grants to support: public education on the importance of
government funding for legal services; new approaches to delivering
legal services to low and moderate income people; community-based
"problem-solving" initiatives that reduce reliance on lawyers and
courts; programs to assist individuals in representing themselves; and
innovative use of technology to expand and improve the quality of legal
services.
Judicial
Independence
The Program on Law & Society made a number
of grants to build a broad-based, nonpartisan commitment to ensure that
all people in the United States have access to state and federal courts
insulated from political pressure and capable of impartial decision
making.
The Legal
Profession
One of OSI's principal concerns is that
marketplace values and profit motives have permeated areas they do not
belong - particularly in the professions of law, medicine, and
journalism - thus presenting a threat to fundamental American values. In
response to these concerns, the Program on Law & Society seeks to
understand and address the impact of economic and other changes in the
legal profession; to promote higher standards of professional conduct;
to make the profession more accountable to the public; to promote
nonadversarial and problem-solving training and approaches to solving
legal problems; to expand public and community service by law schools,
students, and lawyers; and to encourage all sectors of the profession to
address the current failures of our system of justice.
Civil Justice
Reform
The state of the American civil justice system has
been the subject of fractious debate in recent years. Some critics of
the current system contend the crisis is caused by excessive civil
litigation, characterized by meritless lawsuits and capricious damage
awards. Yet, most Americans believe the system favors rich individuals
and corporations, fails to provide access for low- and middle-income
people, and fails to resolve disputes efficiently and fairly. In
response to these concerns, the Program on Law & Society has
developed a grantmaking program to stimulate reform of the civil justice
system to make it more responsive and efficient. The Program encourages
development of common sense, "common ground" reforms that serve the
public interest generally, rather than the interest of any particular
special interest group.
Criminal
Justice Reform
During 1998, the Program on Law & Society,
sometimes in collaboration with OSI's Center on Crime, Communities and
Culture, made several grants to support efforts to expand and
improve the quality of legal representation provided to the indigent in
criminal matters.
