Why We Need Lawyers

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Why We Need Lawyers Karen Kajmowicz

Protecting our Rights WHY LAWYERS MATTER NOW MORE THAN EVER Many people argue that lawyers make everything more complicated and overcharge for their services. While there may be reasons to dislike lawyers, we do still need them. In fact, we may need lawyers more today than we ever have in the past. Only those trained and educated in laws and legal practice have the expertise to protect our rights from both government intrusion and individual conflicts.

Law Enforcement Policies VIOLATING OUR RIGHTS One of the most alarming reasons we need lawyers is to help us eliminate law enforcement policies that violate our rights. For instance, a group of lawyers, known as the Institute of Justice, is fighting hard to make civil forfeiture illegal throughout the United States. Civil forfeiture is the practice of seizing property and assets of a private citizen without cause.

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DOING BUSINESS

Law enforcement officers can sometimes abuse this right, using it to target specific people with the most to lose. The problem is that the officers get to keep the spoils of their seizures. The Institute of Justice is arguing that officers must have cause to seize property and that the assets seized should go into a public treasury.

Another problem the Institute of Justice is confronting is the practice of restricting one’s ability to do business. Nearly every skilled trade requires hours of training and licensure, before an individual can begin plying his or her trade. Even hair-dressers and florists must adhere to government restrictions in order to do business. The Institute of Justice has already made progress in getting five states to loosen their regulations on hair braiders, but more is needed.

Violations Going Unchecked

CHANING THE LAWS While many politicians agree that government occupational regulations are excessive, changing these laws takes time. It also takes the expertise of attorneys interested in helping these changes come about. Without groups like the Institute of Justice, many violations of our rights would go unchecked. We would lose our property without cause and be unable to start practicing the trades that help us earn money.

The Help of a Lawyer FROM FAMILY TO CRIMINAL LAW These are just a few examples of the ways in which lawyers help people every day. From handling family and criminal law to business and civil law, lawyers make sure our rights are protected. Without the expertise of a lawyer, challenging legal conflicts would be doomed to failure. We wouldn’t have the advocacy we need to confront the illegal actions of government agencies, corporations, or individuals.