ABSTRACT
The policy of the Legal Services Program requires that such organizations as the local bar association, the local community action agency, poverty representatives and the minority bar be allowed to participate in the drafting procedure. State bar associations vary widely in their responsibilities and influence. Many are merely voluntary social organizations to which a minority of the jurisdiction’s lawyers even bother to belong. The path from ABA endorsement in February 1965 to widespread acceptance of the Legal Services Program in local communities was longer and more treacherous than either the Jean Cahns or the ABA leaders had envisioned in early 1965. An application for a Legal Services grant almost always reflects a compromise among some of the most diverse elements present in an American community. The policy of the Legal Services Program requires that such organizations as the local bar association, the local community action agency, poverty representatives and the minority bar be allowed to participate in the drafting procedure.
