COLUMNS

           Committee on Access to Justice

    B. Suzi Ruhl, Chair

     The Committee on Access to Justice (CAJ) met at the 1998 Annual Update of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section to develop plans for the upcoming year. The CAJ will continue with its initiative to produce educational brochures on environmental and land use topics that affect low income people. Currently, the CAJ has developed a "governmental attorney's program," whereby lawyers with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Water Management Districts are fulfilling their aspirational pro bono goal requirements and providing an important community service. In addition, the CAJ is working on a project designed to promote understanding and build cooperation between private sector, government and low-income community interests.This project will involve a public forum which will hopefully generate recommendations for resolving disputes and promoting solutions to environmental and land use issues facing low income people.