To Establish Justice for All: The Past and Future of Civil Legal Aid in the United States [3 volumes] Illustrated Edition

Many thanks to Earl Johnson for a comprehensive history and a good read. Part of the charm of the story in these three volumes is that, as Johnson says in his prologue, it is 10 percent memoir and 90 percent traditional history. Because he has been involved at key points, he can tell the story as an insider at times and an interested observer at others. It sets the context for civil legal aid work today and for the goal, still only a goal, of equal justice for all.

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This will stand as the definitive narrative of legal aid and legal services. The saga keeps expanding because To Establish Justice is a quest, not a completed story. But Earl has done a thorough and compelling job -- and in its own way, helped clarify the challenge we face in the future. I am still mid-way -- so I don't know where he comes out on the future need to engage the communities we serve as partners - or whether it is just about the profession and its challenges. But he has certainly provided a foundational piece of work in this extensive narrative.Edgar Cahn

The essential political history of America's fitful struggle to embrace the equal justice under law which it ostensibly provides to all comers. The sorry saga of the now 140 year history of self-interested bickering to avoid the modest cost of allowing everyone the legal help that would assure a just result in millions of civil legal matters is laid bare in this three volume treatment.

To Establish Justice for All is the most important work in recent memory to focus on access to justice for all who are in need. The history of civil legal, as told by Justice Johnson, is a fascinating collection of stories, populated by the leading political figures of the 20th Century. The work reads like a novel, complete with heroes, villains, and enough surprises to keep any reader intrigued and glued to the page. The book imbues a vital history with a profound sense of democracy, showing us all how access to the courts is the key to making our system work for those who need it most. Nothing has ever helped the poor, and exalted democracy, the way lawyers and the judicial system can protect access to the basic necessities of life. But without the principles of civil legal aid, so many among us are denied the protections of our democracy. Justice Johnson brings that reality alive. And because he was there, alongside Sargent Shriver, molding the modern movement to ensure access to justice, his credibility, his recollections, his research and his ability to weave history through story-telling, makes for the most compelling work of its kind. President Nixon, Alexander Haig, Sen. Warren Rudman, Warren Christopher, Donald Rumsfeld, President Johnson and so many other key 20th century figures, come in and out of the story, playing surprising roles, and claiming for this important, but little known history, a vital place in our national discourse. This is book that demands to be read by anyone who is concerned about justice and anyone who wants to understand some of the most important moments in our shared history. It is a page-turner, it is beautifully written. Justice Johnson has given us a great gift -- a book that does not just educate but illuminates and fascinates.

This is a wonderfully written book by one of the leaders and heroes of the access to justice movement. As a legal services attorney, teacher and judge, Earl Johnson has an intimate knowledge of the past and current state of advocacy for those who cannot afford counsel. He is also a remarkably good writer, able to weave stories and personal reflections into a book that in the hands of a lesser narrator could be narrow and dry. This is therefore a book that should not be limited to lawyers or historians. Anyone interested in how a society struggles with equal opportunity, and the role of attorneys in securing those rights, should read this book.