This article from the New York Times outlines the proposal by Jonathan Lippman, New York’s chief judge, for a $100 million increase in New York state financing for lawyers who represent the poor in civil cases that deal with “the essentials of life” like eviction and child support, according to people who have worked on the plan.
The proposal would be phased in over four years, with an increase of $25 million beginning next year, permitting a far-reaching expansion of legal service programs across the state that have long been starved of resources. The $100 million proposal would be a small part of the state’s nearly $3 billion judicial budget for 2011, which includes comparable savings in other areas, according to those who have worked on it.
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