Toward Justice for All

The fact that a new law firm is being formed in Orange County, where about one out of every 300 people is an attorney, is nothing to really get excited about. But the kind of law firm that is being formed certainly deserves community attention and support.

The new firm being organized will be the Orange County Public Interest Law Advocates (OCPILA). It is no high-powered partnership dealing in investments or business law. It is a nonprofit, public-interest law firm. It will be representing the heretofore unrepresented--the poor, the homeless, the aged and minorities--oppressed, abused and neglected people denied the equal benefits of the government system and any redress to secure their rights.

The approach is not new, not even in Orange County. The Legal Aid Society of Orange County has been here for years. So has Amicus Publico, a group of attorneys who volunteer their time and take cases representing people who cannot afford legal counsel.

But those programs are limited in the numbers of people they can represent and hardly dent the overwhelming need. And they primarily deal in individual service. As a public-interest firm, OCPILA will be directing its efforts at law reform, tackling the institutions, public and private, that under existing laws are denying people adequate housing, medical care and benefits due them.

That kind of public interest representation and litigation takes more time and commitment than such groups as Legal Aid and Amicus Publico have been able to adequately provide. They may be able to help someone obtain a specific rental or health treatment, but OCPILA will be taking on the “system” that deprives large numbers of poor people medical and prenatal care and fails to provide the adequate housing required by law to meet the needs of all segments of the community.

That active public interest approach also requires considerable public support, financially as well as morally. Fortunately, community attitudes seem to be in sync with the launching of the new public interest law firm.

Recent public opinion surveys have shown that a large percentage of residents are greatly concerned with the high costs of housing. Only one out of every eight Orange County residents surveyed believed that taking care of the homeless is “no one’s responsibility” and 43% thought that state and federal government should be responsible for helping people who cannot afford housing. More than six out of 10 people surveyed also supported rent control, requiring builders to provide “affordable housing” for people at various income levels in their new developments and were pro-choice on abortion.

Except for a few notable exceptions, Orange County has lacked aggressive leadership in tackling the social injustices suffered by so many residents. A public interest law firm such as the proposed OCPILA can help fill that void and right some of those wrongs.