Lawyers told to practice reform LJ these da vs. u . IUN (API Lawyers are out of the politic rtl i rossfire but there's no guar anteed amnesty for n profession that i an easily bec ome a target So steps toward self-reform undertaken now could prove useful later The American Bar Associa tion is trying just that, its presi dent saying that lawyers must offer realistic solutions to the problems of a balky and costly legal system "or rightly stand accused of being part of the problem " "Justice in the United States takes too long, costs too much and is virtually inaccessible and unaffordable for too many Americans." ABA President K William ldu III, an Atlanta lawyer, said in urging his col leagues to make lflfM the year of change and reform hlit s;u(i lawyers have to ret • ognize that mam Americans consider them "a major part of the problem with our justice s\ s tem." and attornevs won't turn around those attitudes without taking the lead for t hanging what's wrong. That sounds like a belated rebuttal to the law yer-bashing of George Bush's administration Dan Quayle. his vice president, made the case It closed in defeat in and there hasn't been mm h talk of it since Pres ident Bill Clinton and 1 Hilary Hodhom Clinton both are lawyers But then, so are Quay le and his wife, Marilyn One aspect of the argument, malpractice claims and the role of law yers in pursuing them, is part of the debate over the Clin ion health care plan Repuhli i ans say the Clinton proposal won't do enough to curb mal practice lawsuits and awards that are a cost I v part of the health i are problem The Clinton health plan calls for malpractice claims to be dealt with initially outside of courtrooms, tn hoards ol mod a ai experts or similar s\ stems of dispute resolution But patients still could sue it they weren't satisfied, as long as they had a specialist's statement that a doc tor had been negligent. Lawyers who take malprat tice i.ases for contingency fees, meaning part of the award or settlement. could not claim more than one-third of the inon e\ Hut that's the usual rate now Republican health (.are bills would put a $250,000 limit on malpractice awards for pain and suffering, so-called non-eco nomic damages The (Minton plan would not. although it would permit states to set limits Quayle. now with a conserva tive think tank in Indianapolis, says the real problem is broader the legal system itself. His open ing argument on the issue was before the American Bar Associ ation convention in 1091, when he urged a drastic overhaul in a system he said was putting U S business at a disadvantage in world competition. The applause lines were sure tire, although it didn't do the GOP ticket much good "Does America really need 70 percent of the world's lawyers'” Quayle used to ask. "Let’s stop America's love affair with the lawsuit," Hush said after proposing drastic changes in the system in 1992. including a requirement that in some cases, the loser pay the court costs of the winning Kid** l hnsc were rep* ted in (Congress Hush protested the litigation explosion, hliimed ii on trial lawyers in tasseled loafers and said legal costs were dragging down the ei onoiny and costing jobs Hush wasn't the first president to i omplain aliout the high cost of lawsuits (iminv Carter said in H)?H thot excessive litigation and legal featherbedding were drags on the e< ononis We have the heaviest concentration of lawyers on earth." he said then It s heavier now. By the numbers, tackling law vers makes sense Theirs is not a popular profession, and they know it. The bar association's own puhlii opinion polling shows growing! \nu.ism about lawyers generally although people tend to he satisfied with their KOSbS *Q QQ, ( oa>roicnt! t of <) \l*trr oo I 'th b* PmciwHi ( ult mmi i<^ \m »< .11 i s r»( hjwbtTV tafrftt.Or T-»: 4*< IJftl «r ► ivhhpitoOf.^i-^ iw: J YEAR ENO SALE 1 40% OFF ail <« vfO*« vMbnc >, MAKE US LAUGH If you've got the creativity and cartooning skills to produce a regular comic strip, stop by the Emerald offices, Suite 300 EMU for more information (Ask for Jake) Please Recycle This Paper IcPaint Aldus PaaeMaker Adobe Photoshop FileMakel erCard Norton Ut ■ owerPoint Microsoft Word Aldus Persuasion ris CAD Mdus Fre Ilustrator WordPerfect Microsoft Excel Claris Low educational discount prices on software for your Macintosh or PC Adobe • Aldus • Claris • Microsoft • WordPerfect • & more... Microcomputer Support center e 202 Computing Center Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm 346-4402 I ducalional diseaunli aitnlailr In rligiNt Ul1 ^lujnils, family and 'la//