The Lawyer and the Public: An Association of American Law Schools Survey

methodology for conducting surveys of the bar which (a) should be widespread enough to give a fair picture of conditions in various parts of the country, and (b) should show how the needs of the community for legal service were being met. Accordingly, with financial assistance from the Association and from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Committee conducted a preliminary study designed to test methods of obtaining data from the lawyers as to their economic condition, and from the lay public as to experience with, or without, lawyers. From this experiment there were developed methods which it is believed can be profitably employed by bar associations, law schools, or other interested groups for studying conditions in their own localities. If a substantial number of local surveys can be carried out, the combined results will afford a picture fairly representative of conditions in this country. It is not necessary that a complete census be taken, for fair samples from different areas will disclose with sufficient accuracy the way the American bar is functioning