(0.5 Ethics California MCLE) The Sixth Amendment provides a right to counsel for indigents in criminal cases, but that right may be an empty promise when public defense organizations lack funding to provide adequate assistance. Seymour James, Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society, explains the impact on access to justice for the poor when that right is undermined.
Seymour James served as the Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society, the largest and oldest public defender organization in the U.S. from 2014-2018. The Legal Aid Society has a staff of over 1,000 lawyers and more than 700 social workers, investigators, paralegals, and support staff, and handles more than 300,000 cases and legal matters for clients. James is now a partner at the law firm Barket Epstein. He has also been active in several bar associations, including the New York State Bar Association for which he served as president from 2012 to 2013 and treasurer from 2008 to 2011.