Task Force on Lawyer Support

Professor Kevin Johnson was appointed to the Task Force on Lawyer Support for Legal Services, which was formed pursuant to California Assembly Bill 2301.

AB 2301, approved in August 2006, authorizes the California State Bar to receive voluntary contributions by members for nonprofit organizations that provide free legal services to persons of limited means. The bill requires the State Bar, in consultation with the Chief Justice, to appoint a task force to analyze other programs and propose a method for collection and distribution of voluntary contributions, as specified. 

Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) sponsored the bill. In a press release, Jones commented that there is currently one legal aid attorney for every 8,373 poor people in California, while the number of attorneys for the general population is approximately one for every 240 people, nearly 35 times higher.