An exploratory study into whether non-lawyers should be providing services to those who cannot afford them (NYLJ, May 29) should conclude that, much like taxation without representation, representation without accreditation is a bad idea.
Beyond the obvious problems – and there are many – of assigning people without any formal legal training to help those facing real legal issues with significant and often immediate life impacts (such as housing evictions and Family Court proceedings) lurks the specter of the law of unintended consequences.
