Below is an excerpt from a Jan. 12 editorial published in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

More than five dozen general counsel recently sent a letter to Gov. Maura T. Healey to support the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp.’s and Equal Justice Coalition’s FY24 state budget request of $49 million for civil legal aid organizations.

The group of 63 attorneys from the Massachusetts business community agree that the civil legal aid organizations need more funding to meet the demands of a state emerging from a global pandemic.

“There is no right to an attorney for most types of civil legal cases, including cases that could lead to loss of housing, domestic safety, or financial stability,” said Paul T. Dacier, general counsel at Indigo, who signed the letter. “These are fundamental issues that significantly impact the most important people in our society. We should all want our systems to be fair and just, because when both sides have representation, justice is best served.”

Read more at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (subscription required).