Funding Justice—An Introduction

Americans expect their legal system to mete out justice objectively, without regard for identity, money, power, or weakness. The blindfolded Lady Justice, who frequently adorns courthouses and public buildings, is commonly thought to represent this ideal notion of judgment free from bias. For centuries, the image of Lady Justice has been powerfully evoked to reveal the tension between the ideal and the reality of justice. Equality before the law becomes an apparently elusive dream as society is reminded that judges are all too human and that funds can lift the blindfold of justice. Justice’s blindfold and sword create ambiguity fertile for sarcasm and perhaps distrust. A blindfolded lady armed with a sword has raised concerns in the hearts of many.