ABSTRACT
Public interest law has demonstrated its worth in the American legal system, making major contributions in realizing the rights of minorities, women, and disadvantaged groups, protecting consumers and the environment, and ensuring the civil liberties of the underrepresented. The contrast between the resources available to the private bar and those available to the public one is dramatic. Foundations have long been a mainstay of funding for public interest law. Philanthropy is a valuable tool for addressing public needs and eliminating national problems of poverty, injustice, and racism and the malfunctioning of government and corporate institutions. Public interest advocacy provides a way for the underrepresented in society to participate in the decisionmaking processes of democracy. The world of public interest law is not monolithic. Public interest law has an important societal role and is at heart an ally of public institutions in governing fairly and well. Public interest law has gradually won the support of the organized bar.
