As the old quip goes, “Justice may be blind, but it ain’t cheap.”
But in Columbus, there may be something to do about that. On Tuesday at the Lowndes County Courthouse, 14th District Chancery Court judges Dorothy Colom, Jim Davidson and Kenneth Burns will hold a free legal clinic for low-income citizens, with local lawyers providing free legal assistance in a variety of areas.
The clinic is one of 49 being held throughout the state in June as a part of national Access to Justice month, which is set aside to call attention to the needs of poor Americans as they try to navigate the justice system.
Earlier this year, Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller called for the clinics as a way to honor the designation.
“It is vitally important for all citizens to have access to the courthouse,” Waller said in announcing the clinics. “Mississippi has one of the highest rates of poverty in the United States and these legal clinics allow meaningful access with the assistance of volunteer lawyers.”
Tuesday’s legal clinic will run from 2-5 p.m. To be eligible, a citizen must reside in the 14th District, which includes Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, Noxubee, Chickasaw and Webster counties. Because it is income based, those who want to participate must visit www.14thchanceryms.com to provide income information and apply. Participants should bring their completed applications with them to the clinic.
Davidson said the need for legal assistance is particularly important for low-income people.
“What I’ve noticed is that we have a lot more pro se (people representing themselves with an attorney) than ever before,” Davidson said. “A lot of these people are being squeezed pretty hard just to pay their legal bills. Even if they realize they need an attorney, they don’t have the money. It’s hard to justify hiring an attorney when you’re struggling the pay the light bill or buy groceries.”
Davidson said anywhere from 10 to 30 local attorneys will volunteer their time to help citizens with legal issues, including no-fault divorces in marriages with no children, emancipation, uncontested guardianships, bankruptcies and other legal issues that can be resolved simply with the aid of an attorney.
“There is definitely a need,” Davidson said. “People are afraid of the court system, They don’t know how much it will cost. A lot of times, they’ll come to the chancery clerk’s office for help. Our clerks do all they can for them, showing them what forms to fill out or the procedures. But the clerks are limited. They can’t go beyond that because they would be practicing law without a license.
“This clinic gives people an opportunity to get the help they need and we really hope people will take advantage of it,” Davidson added.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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