To avoid further judicial gridlock, both houses of the Massachusetts Legislature approved a supplemental budget today, which would pay “bar advocates” for services provided in Fiscal 2003 but not yet paid by the State. Just this morning, the court-appointed lawyers for indigent parties had started a joint refusal to accept new cases until they were paid for their earlier work. (“Lawmakers respond as lawyers stop taking cases,” Providence Journal/Associated Press, by Ken Maguire, 08-18-03, free registration needed for access) The group Suffolk Lawyers for Justice annouced the boycott last Thursday (see our posting on July 15)..
ProJo.Com/AP also reported that the legislation was sent to Gov. Mitt Romney, who was out of state, and that “Deborah Gibbs, program director for Suffolk Lawyers for Justice, said the group won’t go back to work until the governor signs the bill.” (emphasis added) In a posting on July 17, ethicalEsq? argued that the group boycott violates the antitrust law.