Lawyers Journal

Each of my initiatives - Working Families, Consumer Law and Justice for All - has a strong public component. That's intentional. While we can accomplish a great deal as lawyers, and especially as a bar association, our message only gets stronger when we bring in others to stand with us.

Four years ago a medical school graduate in Louisiana embarked on the trip of a lifetime with her brother. As a graduation present, their father took them to the World Cup in South Africa, the global soccer championship which takes place every four years. But what started as the trip of a lifetime suddenly turned tragic.

The two siblings were unfortunately the victims of a terrible hit-and-run accident. The med school student was killed in the crash and her brother slipped into a coma. Estimates put the cost of bringing the deceased sister and her brother home at $300,000.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick filed his budget recommendations for the fiscal year 2015 on Jan. 22. Patrick recommends funding the Trial Court at $617.5 million, which is slightly more than the Trial Court's maintenance request of $615.1. The additional funding would cover the costs of expanding specialty courts and the judicial compensation increase that was enacted last year.

More than 500 lawyers participated in the 15th annual Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid in the Great Hall of the State House on Jan. 30. The Massachusetts Bar Association, the Equal Justice Coalition (EJC) and the Boston Bar Association asked participants to urge their legislators to support increased state funding for civil legal aid.