Legal aid survives cutbacks

Legal aid for the poor has survived the congressional budget ax, although Nevada's GOP representatives voted to slash funding for the service.

The Legal Services Corp., which provides services to those who can't afford an attorney, was funded at $278 million for 1996. It was scheduled to receive only $141 million next year, until Tuesday's House vote pumped an additional $109 million into the program.

Nevada's Republican congressmen voted against restoring the funding.

"Some things have to be cut," said Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev. "I think the private sector would step up to the plate. There are plenty of wealthy lawyers around who can afford to do pro bono (free) work. And there is no reason why the LSC can't do fund-raising."

In a written statement, Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, R-Nev., stated:

"First, I question the effectiveness of the LSC. It has a long track record of abandoning the 'bread-and-butter' cases that truly help the poor in order to seek high-profile political causes, class-action lawsuits and questionable cases that really don't deliver for those truly in need. Taxpayer dollars should be used to defend the poor, not for political advocacy.

"Second, I could not support taking money from other, more effective programs. For example, to help offset the LSC increase, we took $12 million from our federal courts at a time when our court system is already overwhelmed and $45 million from the federal prison system when we desperately need to be increasing that funding."

Wayne Pressel, executive director of Nevada Legal Services, the local LSC program, questioned whether pro bono work could have handled the 7,200 cases his offices in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City litigated last year. He said private attorneys would have to abandon their practices entirely and work for free to handle the growing caseload.

"I'm pleased with the outcome," Pressel said of the House vote. "I'm especially pleased that it wasn't a close vote."

Many House Republicans joined Democrats to vote 247-179 to approve the increase. The bill soon will go before the Senate, where Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., is confident it will pass.

"I am a strong believer in our court system, and our system only works if poor people have access to it," Bryan said. "If that access is effectively denied, we breed cynicism and contempt for that system."

Bryan, who at one time was president of the Legal Aid Society in Nevada, felt pro bono work is a good supplement, but it can't totally satisfy poor people's needs.

Anne Golonka, president of the Southern Nevada chapter of the National Organization for Women, was elated that the House voted to fund LSC. She said low-income women will benefit greatly.

"Not all government programs are wasteful," Golonka said. "I'm really very pleased for the women of Southern Nevada and everywhere else, when you consider that everything is determined by litigation."

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