Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Backlash Against Law School Clinics

There has been some push-back against law school clinics in the US lately. First, in Maryland, lawmakers threatened, but ultimately backed off, a proposal to withhold state money from the University of Maryland School of Law unless its law clinics turned over case information. Now, in Louisiana, lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit clinics at law schools that receive government funding from suing a government agency or seeking money damages from an individual or business.

I'm not sure the rationale behind the Louisiana law makes sense:
“The intent [of the bill] is fairly simple,” said state senator Robert Adley, who introduced the bill. “Philosophically, I’m opposed to taking taxpayer money and then turning around and suing taxpayers. If you’re going to take money from the taxpayers and the government, you ought not be able to sue the taxpayers and the government.”
(1) If you can't sue taxpayers and government, who does that leave out?
(2) Wouldn't this logic also imply that since taxpayers pay for police services, then officers shouldn't be allowed to "turn around" and arrest citizens when they break the law?

More here and here.

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