The argument began on Ideoblog. The New York Times reported about an Ohio man who sued the school board over the education of his autistic son. He represented himself and won a $160,000 verdict. The Cleveland Bar Association wanted a piece of the action and sued for $10,000. Though the bar association dropped the case, the story sparked a post on Ideoblog on how laypersons can represent themselves in court as readily as some attorneys. So why bother with the whole licensure procedure?
Over at Point of Law, they disagreed for all the obvious reasons. Licensing attorneys preserves the court system, prevents legal malpractice, and ensures moral character and technical proficiency. Ideoblog countered that the cost of getting an attorney through law school and licensed is what drives the price of legal assistance through the roof.
A Wall Street Journal poll on the same topic found a majority of respondents feel lawyers must be licensed.
Check the whole argument out for yourself here: http://www.pointoflaw.com/feature/index.php#2514
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