Dershowitz on Lawyers

In response to Dershowitz’s column, I certainly cannot disagree with anything he said. We surely are not angels; and after 23 years in private practice I can only echo the thought that indeed we are a highly overpaid profession. Occasionally, I even feel guilty making such frequent bank deposits.

Now that I have taken great pains to acknowledge the truth of the column, I would also like to address my attention to the item that Dershowitz pointed out as a real evil. That Mr. and Mrs. Middle America have very little recourse to the legal system. There is one avenue that is open and available to almost everyone and which is not really very expensive. Just about every local bar association in the country has a “Lawyers Reference section.”

For a small sum, I think it’s about $25 locally, one can ask his local bar association for referral to a lawyer who will agree to give a client a 45-minute consultation for this sum. Also, it probably will leave the client with some better advice than he is currently getting from his next door neighbor or his brother-in-law for free. It’s not such a bad program; unfortunately it is very underpublicized and not too many people take advantage of it. But it is there for the asking.

EUGENE A. RUDOLPH

Woodland Hills