Why Legal Aid? Access to legal services continues to be a challenge for a substantial segment of the Indian population due to geographical, resource and infrastructure constraints. Since legal representation is costly and out of reach for the disadvantaged, the need for legal aid arises. The problem has been compounded by the failure to mainstream legal-aid services, particularly for the marginalized sections at the panchayat levels. Marginalised communities, especially rural and tribal population; senior citizens; persons with low income; persons with disabilities; victims of drug abuse, human trafficking; prison inmates- the rightful recipients of legal aid- are unable to avail it. India has an expansive history of legal aid, backed by decades of legislation, jurisprudential interpretation, and numerous state-funded programs. But the absence of a structured and economically viable format has hindered lawyers in actively offering legal assistance to those in need of it. The pro bono … [Read more...] about Access To Legal Aid In India : An Unfulfilled Promise ?
Aids first reported 1981
Driver in Deadly 1981 NY Brink’s Heist Freed From Prison
Judith Clark, who entered prison as a left-wing revolutionary defiantly refusing to participate in her own murder trial, walked free on Friday as a 69-year-old woman acclaimed for her work behind bars with service dogs, AIDS patients and inmates with babies. Clark made her initial report to her parole officer after leaving prison, state corrections spokesman Thomas Mailey said. "She will reside in New York County and be closely supervised to ensure her full compliance with all of the conditions of her parole," Mailey said. Clark, sentenced to 75-years-to-life for her role as getaway driver in a deadly 1981 Brink's heist in suburban New York, became eligible for parole after Gov. Andrew Cuomo granted her clemency in 2016. The Democrat praised her as a model prisoner. Supporters said she embodied the prison system's ideals as an institution of rehabilitation rather than retribution. Top Tri-State News Photos Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP But some law enforcement officials, … [Read more...] about Driver in Deadly 1981 NY Brink’s Heist Freed From Prison
Fmr. DOJ FOIA Director on Clinton Aide’s Missing Emails: ‘It Stinks to High Heavens’
the State Department said that it couldn’t find any emails from senior information technology staffer Bryan Pagliano from when he worked for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “The Department has searched for Mr. Pagliano’s email pst file and has not located one that cover the time period of Secretary Clinton’s tenure,” a State Department spokesman told ABC News, adding they did find emails from his time as a contractor. The latest revelation is a result of a FOIA lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee. Now if Pagliano’s name sounds familiar, that’s because earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice (likely through a federal judge) reportedly granted immunity to Pagliano. He helped set-up Clinton’s privately maintained email server.So understandably, there are a lot of questions right now about how it could be possible that the State Department could not find a … [Read more...] about Fmr. DOJ FOIA Director on Clinton Aide’s Missing Emails: ‘It Stinks to High Heavens’
Legal Aid Advocate McCalpin Dies
A former chairman of the Legal Services Corp. who was a vocal advocate for its mission has died.F. William McCalpin died Dec. 9 at his St. Louis home from complications from a fall, the New York Times reports. He was 88.McCalpin chaired the LSC from 1979 to 1981 and was a board member from 1993 to 2003. A Republican, he nonetheless clashed with President Reagan over attempts to abolish the program. He was also active in the ABA.According to ABA President Carolyn Lamm, McCalpin “was one of the early leaders of the bar in the evolution of the movement, and acted with great principle in championing the rights of poor people.”McCalpin chaired three ABA entities, the story says: the Committee on the Availability of Legal Services, the Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, and the Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly. Misspelled name in headline corrected at 7:35 a.m. … [Read more...] about Legal Aid Advocate McCalpin Dies
AIDS Awareness Promoted at ABA Meetings with Free Condoms and HIV Tests
Free condoms were a big hit at the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto.The ABA AIDS Coordinating Committee offered the condoms along with information about HIV and AIDS in an effort to improve awareness for the cause of prevention. Lawyers on their way to meeting registration “ravaged” the information table as they walked by, according to Michael Pates, staff director of the ABA AIDS Coordination Project.Shelley Hayes, chair of the coordinating committee, says her group has offered the free condoms at past ABA meetings. She described the typical response. “People see our sign. They read it. They walk away. They turn around. They come back and they grab a handful.”The committee is promoting the idea that every sexually active person should receive regular HIV tests with another freebie: HIV testing. The committee wasn’t able to offer free tests in Toronto because of Canadian regulations favoring finger-prick testing and a sponsor that provides oral swab tests. … [Read more...] about AIDS Awareness Promoted at ABA Meetings with Free Condoms and HIV Tests