The New England Legal Journal, a legal-affairs publication run by the New York law firm Hogan Lovells, is pushing a lawsuit to try to shut free legal services, such as Free Legal Counsel, out of business.
In the lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Boston, lawyers for the right-wing group the American Legislative Exchange Council argue that free legal help is “the single most effective way to address issues of discrimination and systemic racism.”
The complaint alleges that free lawyers “have helped to create an environment in which the majority of Americans have more rights and freedoms than those they currently enjoy.”
Free Legal Counsels “can and will take legal action to shut the doors of free legal counsel services from their offices,” it says.
“This will only help ensure that every American has access to the legal services that they need to be successful and safe in their communities.”
It also argues that the legal profession is “at risk” of losing its professional standing in the eyes of the public.
The AP reports that the lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit in California by the Center for American Progress, which has filed similar lawsuits against the left-leaning law firm of Covington & Burling.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, a conservative legal-activism group, filed a similar suit in Washington state, as well as in California.
In a statement, American Legislative Council Executive Director Chris Horner said that Free Legal counsel “provides a vital service for thousands of Americans every day, and the public deserves better.”
He added, “Lawyers should not have to fight for their livelihoods every day to do the right thing.”
Free legal services are a “tremendous and essential service for Americans” because of the “lack of transparency” and “misinformation” that has arisen in recent years, said Horner, who is also the president of the Center.
“They’re doing it for free because they believe that doing so is morally right, which it is not,” he said.
