Public Interest Law: Five Years Later.

This report provides an account of public-interest law firm activities supported by the Ford Foundation. Public interest law is a phrase that describes efforts aimed at providing legal representation for underrepresented interests in the legal process. The report is arranged into four major sections. The first section, on the evolution of the concept of public interest law, discusses the provision of legal aid for little or no fee in cases involving poverty law, civil rights law, public rights law, the representation of charitable organizations, or the administration of justice. The second section discusses the Ford Foundation's relations with 16 public interest law firms. Cases handled by the firms cover such diverse areas an environmental protection, governmental reform, employment practices, voting rights, the regulation of the mass media and consumer protection, regulation of mental health and the rights of patients, women's rights, and international issues. Section three, dealing with concerns about public interest law activity, focuses on the role of courts as an appropriate forum, the effect of overburdening the judicial system, competing public interests, and adequate representation of all segments of the public. The concluding section looks at the future of public interest law over the next few years--probable sources of support, efforts to develop them, and new forms of dealing with social and economic problems including inequities that may emerge from present experience and practice. (Author/JB)