Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Reno Asks Lawyers to Aid Children

Atty. Gen. Janet Reno, addressing the American Bar Assn.’s annual meeting, told lawyers to “look beyond their pocketbooks” and provide free legal services to indigent children. Reno also said she supported the use of non-lawyers to help the poor in simple matters, including Social Security questions or landlord-tenant disputes. Reno urged implementation of an ABA initiative aimed at providing legal services to children in crisis, such as those living in poverty or falling behind in school. She urged lawyers to “adopt” a first grade, a school or a block. The aim, she said, is to help children before they end up in the court system.