William T. “Bill” Robinson III is president of the American Bar Association.American Bar Association President Bill Robinson visited Chattanooga on Thursday and met with the Times Free Press editorial board.
He answered questions and shared some of the association’s policies on problems the courts and attorneys face nationwide.
Based in Florence, Ky., Robinson took over as ABA president in August and said his main focus is to continue the work his predecessor began in dealing with financial troubles that court systems face.
Q: There’s been talk in legal circles and some national news outlets about a “crisis” in courts funding. What are the ABA’s concerns about this?
A: Forty out of 50 states slashed court funding just this last year. Tennessee, out of a $30.2 billion operating budget, is allocating $116 million to the courts. That’s 0.3 percent of the overall operating budget, and we’re talking about one of the co-equal branches of the government. There was a 15 percent cut last year [in Tennessee] and a 6 percent cut this year.