Equal Justice Under Law.

This special theme issue of "Update on Law-Related Education""tells about the past, present, and future of equal legal representation for all in our society." It is dedicated to the history and heroes of legal aid for the poor and the need to further that cause if the United States hopes to achieve equal justice for all. In his foreword, Justice Earl Johnson, Jr. of the California Court of Appeal insists that poor and even middle-class citizens who cannot afford lawyers stand no chance of attaining justice in court and that justice for all must mean lawyers for all. R. James Steiner and Carol J. Holahan outline the history of legal aid for civil cases in the United States beginning with the foundation of the German Legal Aid Society in New York City in 1876 and tracing the spread of similar societies to other cities by the turn of the century. The article describes the creation of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Legal Aid in the 1920s and of the Legal Services Corporation in 1975. Judy Norris outlines the history of indigent defense in the United States, describing the 1963 Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright which guarantees counsel to the poor. Other articles highlight the heroes of legal aid, interview leading figures in the movement today, and feature the history of the Legal Aid Society of New York. Lesson plans introduce the Bill of Rights, call on students to discuss plans for developing legal aid programs, and evoke discussion over the meaning of justice. Each of the lesson plans provide student handouts. (JD)