I believe that it requires a multifaceted approach. Scott’s Tea Party/budget announcement of yesterday reflects significant cuts in significant public services including, but certainly not limited to, environmental protection, education, health care, public pensions and court services. We should be speaking with other attorneys within the community, and determining whether we collectively can apply the pressure that perhaps only the organized Bar can apply to mitigate the harm to be done. These cuts are devastating, and it will not be long before they are perceived by the public at-large.

The most effective means would be to have a coalition of lawyers proceed to build further coalitions with health care advocates, teachers, firefighters, police and other affected professionals. We also need to be savvy enough to use whatever media contacts we have to bring greater exposure of these ills to an exhausted and, unfortunately, too-often inattentive population. As attorneys, we need to use our skills to fight for the future.

Alex