No more $13 teas, $70 lunches for legal aid outfit

CNN/AP ^ | December 19, 2006 | AP/CNN

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The $13 per person "high tea" service and $12 bagel breaks will be gone from the January directors meeting of the government's legal aid program for the poor. And the meeting will be held at the headquarters conference room rather than the upscale hotel used in the past.

After severe criticism from Congress, stinging reports from a financial watchdog and several articles by The Associated Press, the Legal Services Corp. has decided to temper the expensive tastes of its top officials while poor clients are turned away for lack of program funds.

Internal memos, provided to the AP voluntarily by a Legal Services official, made clear there would be no more $70 lunches and $14 "Death By Chocolate" desserts at board meetings.

Only in special circumstances would there be a repeat of hotel costs that shot through the government's room rate ceiling, limousine services and first-class air travel.

The AP documented in August and September how the program's executives spent freely while the corporation's own study showed many poor Americans -- in need of legal help -- were being turned away at local clinics funded by the corporation. Special status

Legal Services is financed with tax dollars but given special status as an independent, nonprofit corporation, meaning it did not have to follow government-wide expense guidelines.

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The $13 per person "high tea" service and $12 bagel breaks will be gone from the January directors meeting of the government's legal aid program for the poor.

Ironic.

[NonValueAdded]

no, criminal.

[upchuck]

Thanks for posting this outrage.

What a bunch of arrogant assholes.

Here's some more government bureaucrats "getting away" with it.

When's this gonna stop?

I'm sick and damned tired of government people abusing their power and wasting my tax dollars.

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Looks like Poncho 'lefty' had too many 'Death By Chocolate' desserts, lol.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is any organization that uses good judgement and moral principals anymore.

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Lawyers in any situation all seem to be scamming and ripping off clients and the system in so many ways.

One way is to charge for a full senior attorney billable hour when the client talks to a file clerk on the phone for a few minutes.

[potlatch]

You nut! I'm looking at 4 1/2 inches of blank page here, lol. You scammed me by not filling it in with words!!

[Cogadh na Sith]

Hence the term: Limousine Liberals.

It's more than a stereotype, it's the truth....

[devolve]

Don't know why it does that sometimes

[potlatch]

devolve!!!.........!

[jackibutterfly]

"Don't know why it does that sometimes."

Too many carriage returns?

[Drango]

will be gone from the January directors meeting

It will be back for the rest of the year....

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Get real.

Monetary salaries for legal aid lawyers is absolutely terrible, especially compared to what the wall street or Washington D.C. lawyers earn.

Legal aid is like the Public Defenders.

Stop by your local Courthouse next time, and see how "well off" the typical Assistant Public Defender is.

My guess is the guy can't afford a good suit..

This was a year end conference. I, for one, work hard for the poor, and a little "luxury meal" is something rare and unexpected..

But then, most freepers hate lawyers anyway...

Until they need one.

Flame away, you Philistines

[devolve]

I use a WebTV Plus

Not a PC

Posts and emailing without using HTML can be diffferent

If I hit "Return" on my wireless keyboard a few times it will space way down

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And all this while I thought you knew a secret on how to do that devolve! I can put many <P or <BR tags and it won't do that!

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Previous articles indicated the practice was systemic, not a one-off conference reward. I stick with my original assessment.

[ReignOfError]

Stop by your local Courthouse next time, and see how "well off" the typical Assistant Public Defender is.

Except that the luxury perks are for the bigwigs, not for the lawyers working in the trenches. In fact, it's siphoned-off money that could make the lawyers' lives better, either by paying them more or by hiring more attorneys so they're not so overworked.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Indications means CRIMINAL?

Systemic? How many conferences do you think they have?

This is not an Oliver Twist type scenario, where the poor are huddled outside with bread crumbs and the rich lawyers eat to their hearts content every day....

I earned $45,000.00 as a legal aid lawyer.

I could earn more as a secretary and not even use my law degree.

And thus the eating of a nice meal at a conference is criminal how?

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Oh, yeah, 60,000 lawyers will gladly take that $1.00 raise so they're not so overworked.

And the bigwigs don't work? It's the bigwigs that lead and teach the lawyers in the trenches.

This was a hatchet job reporting piece pure and simple

[zarf]

I'm beginning to wonder if there is any organization that uses good judgement and moral principals anymore.

Only the "non-profits" that pay their higher ups six figures and hire hot looking blonde chicks to staff the offices.