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Letters to the Editor

Writer takes issue with law professor’s court review

Over the years I have learned to take anything Erwin Chemerinsky writes with skepticism because he often allows his radical views to influence his writings. That was true in his review of the U. S. Supreme Court last term in the August Bar Journal.

What caught my eye was his critique of the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case regarding the Affordable Care Act. He didn’t just state the holding of the court, he went on to set up a parade of horrors that might result from the holding in the case. The particular one which caught my eye was this: “What if the owners of a company are Christian Scientists and object to all medical care on religious grounds?”

Because I have had Boy Scouts who were Christian Scientists that had earned merit badges in first aid and were always willing to render first aid to any person who needed it, regardless of the fact that they themselves would refuse any medical assistance, I wondered about the correctness of Chemerinsky’s example. So I asked a Christian Scientist who owned a business whether Christian Scientist employers would object to providing health care coverage to their non-Christian Science employees? He answered certainly not. In fact he stated that Christian Science employers were among the first to offer health coverage to their employees long before it became a common practice. He said that it would be against their faith not to provide medical aid to anyone who needed it.

It is difficult to understand why someone who professes to be a legal scholar could so carelessly slander people of a faith but a fair reading of his article shows a strong anti-religious bias on his part.

A.D. Allen
Pacific Palisades

Licensing legal technicians would benefit Californians

I am writing the State Bar of California to express support for the idea of creating limited license legal technicians.

Litigation and representation costs have spiraled out of control for years and have negatively impacted millions of Californians requiring effective counsel. I feel very strongly that instituting the Legal Technician designation would benefit our state by reducing legal costs, increasing choices as to how one obtains legal help and creating new jobs for many legal professionals.

I have already contacted my state legislators in support of this idea. I certainly hope that the California bar continues to explore the possibility of implementing this solution, and I look forward to learning more about the bar's perspective and continued work regarding legal technicians.

Michael Redmond
San Jacinto

 

California Bar Journal letters must include full name with a daytime telephone number
and complete address. Send letters to cbj@calbar.ca.gov.