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Show v . j :i '.....v.v.v."--." M26 A2358 TPf- ji3 IS ii LEGAL BRIEFS Law Day: A Time For An Agenda For Justice By Harry M. Philo President Association of Trial Lawyers of America On Law Day, USA, May 1, many bar associations and bar leaders participating in Law Day programs will issue state-menu state-menu expressing near total satisfaction with our nation's current legal system and laws. Such an approach to Law Day ill serves society, confusing confus-ing a legal system with a system sys-tem of justice. As trial lawyers law-yers who represent society's victims, we recogni.e Law Day as the g time to bc- 1 . gin our a- gendatoim- prove rem- .-t" edies, re-r re-r I I duce need- J I less injuries J and deaths ... . ami bring Harry M. Philo aboul a ,ys. tern of justice. Our current legal system, in contrast to theoretical constitutional con-stitutional guarantees, does not yet produce justice and needs improvement, especially especial-ly in light of the present unreasonable limitations on the rights of civil plaintiffs and criminally accused defendants, de-fendants, and the unreasonable unreason-able restraints impeding proper prop-er representation of those victims by trial lawyers. Trial lawyers play a major role in improving our nation's legal system by seeking changes in our country's social architecture architec-ture toward a comprehensive agenda for justice. This ngenda begins with world peace through law, supporting international legal r agreements which limit arms and foster cooperation and progress among the nations of the world. Justice requires the fullest access to the courts for all people, including the poor, minorities and handicaps, through elimination of unreasonable un-reasonable immunities and privileges and through expansion expan-sion of remedies for victims and spouses. Access to the courts also includes eliminating elim-inating oppressive statutes of limitations, expanding allowable allow-able attorney's fees and insuring criminal due process through independence of the bar and elimination of grand jury and sentencing abuses. Trial lawyers concerned with this agenda insist on governmental reponsibilities for an active role in industrial and product safety, in reasonable reason-able protection and benefits fo" the disabled, and in an adequate judiciary representative representa-tive of society. ' Justice further requires fairer trials with respect for juries as fact finders and with elimination of outdated defenses. As trial lawyers on the side of people, we recognize recog-nize that the law is never settled until it is settled right. It is never right unless it is just. And it is never just until it serves society to the fullest. Thus, on Law Day, USA, 1981, the trial bar omits the usual platitudes, but pledges to undertake the urgent agenda for a legal system which is a just system serving society to the fullest. |