UW News

September 26, 1996

Declining respect for legal system threatens society, author says

News and Information

The United States is risking social breakdown unless it can restore respect for the legal system, says the author of a new book in a lecture to be given at the University of Washington.
“We’re at a point where an alarming number of individuals consider a day in court as little better than a roll of the dice,” says Roberta Katz. “People are raising serious questions about the viability of our legal system.”

Roberta Katz, who besides holding a doctorate in cultural anthropology serves as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Netscape Communications Corp., will discuss the causes and possible remedies for this problem in the University of Washington Law School’s Rembe Endowed Lecture at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 in room 135 Condon Hall. The title of her lecture is, “Lawyers in Cyberspace: The Inevitability of Major Legal Reform.”

Katz is author of a forthcoming book about the legal system, to be published soon by the Discovery Institute. She says a growing segment of the public, when asked, “If you found yourself a defendant in court, would you feel comfortable that justice would be delivered,” answer that question No.

“As a society, we should have reason to be concerned about the decline in respect for the law. The legal system provides the underpinnings for much of society. Disrespect can lead to disregard. If the legal system is regarded as unreliable, it could tear the fabric of our society.”

Katz, whose background is in civil law, points to the issue of dispute resolution as one example of why respect for the law is declining. “Our commercial interactions occur at a very fast pace, aided by modern technology,” she says. “But our system of resolving disputes takes a very long time. We need a means of resolving disputes that matches the pace of commercial interactions for the law to have credibility and respect.”

Some legal reforms may be aided by advances in information technology, while others require a reorientation on how we think about settling disputes and enforcing the law. Katz points out that many aspects of our society are undergoing important changes, and that these changes should be reflected in our legal system as well. “We are in the process of rethinking how we do things in the public sector and the private sector. This also needs to apply to the legal system.”

Katz believes that if change is to occur, it must occur through the judicial system as well as through the political system. “Legal reform benefits everyone,” she says.