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Social Justice through Civil Justice
35
Citations
0
References
1969
Year
Civil LitigationLawLegal StudyEconomic OpportunitySocial SciencesLegal TheorySocial Justice IssuesCivil RightsLegal Services ProgramEconomicsPublic PolicyCivil SocietyEqual OpportunitySocial JusticeComparative LawSociologyUrban Social JusticePoor.the AssumptionJusticeInjusticeSocial Responsibility
An important assumption underlying the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) Legal Services Program is that enforcement of legal rights through litigation can significantly improve the situation of the poor.The assumption seems valid on commonsense grounds, since it is evident that litigation can improve the situation of an individual client, rich or poor, for restitution or redress is after all the essential objective of a lawsuit; it would seem equally evident that the same proposition would hold for the poor as a group.The analysis here suggests that this is not true without substantial reservations and qualifications.If sound, this conclusion has immediate policy significance in the operation of the Legal Services Program.