Barnett: Why I marched: for justice and the Constitution

On Jan. 21, I joined an estimated 500,000 women and men of every age and background at the Women's March on Washington, along with millions of marchers at similar events around the world.

People ask me why I marched. I had many reasons, but to the surprise of some, it was not in protest. Rather, I was there to stand up for the integrity of the office of the president and the Constitution. Presidents come and go, but the constitutional underpinnings of our democracy must be honored and preserved.

As a lawyer, I marched to affirm the maxim that "No man is above the law," and to support enhancing equal access to justice for all, including those who cannot afford to pay.

Florida is a leader in addressing access to justice issues. A recent example is the Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice created by Chief Justice Jorge Larbarga. Also, for over 60 years, The Florida Bar Foundation has worked to promote public service among lawyers and provide access to representation for low-income persons in civil matters.

But the gap between those needing civil legal aid and those actually receiving it has grown exponentially. The Foundation has been forced to cut grants statewide by 78 percent since 2010 due to the impact of the economic downturn and low interest rates on its primary funding source, the Florida Interest on Trust Accounts program. Grant funds have dropped from $43 million annually to around $5.5 million. It is not hard to see why the consequences have been dramatic and devastating for children and families on the edge of poverty.

A new study, "Economic Impacts of Civil Legal Aid Organizations in Florida," clearly demonstrates that providing civil legal aid is an investment in stability and the future. A central finding was that each dollar spent on legal services yielded more than $7 dollars in economic impacts. In 2015, 33 nonprofits received $83 million in grants and donations with a resulting impact of $600 in economic growth.

Those funds helped Floridians draw down much-needed federal benefits, stay in their homes, escape from dangerous domestic violence, get a divorce, and resolve an estate, to name a few, and changed the lives of the thousands of vulnerable people.

Repeatedly in the last election we heard that "the system is rigged." So, I marched — to give a voice, not just to my granddaughters and grandsons, but to those who need our help in opening the doors to justice.

I learned many things at the march. One of the most heartening is that We the People still care deeply about the principles that make our country the greatest, chief among them respect for the rule of law, and justice. I returned home recommitted to making these promises a reality.

Martha Barnett is a retired senior partner with the Holland & Knight law firm, and served as the president of the American Bar Association from 2000 to 2001. She also served as a member of the Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice.