tence of a property right by limiting the procedures for enforcing it. Support for the view that a duly noticed hearing is required
might also be found in Illinois Supreme Court case law interpreting the Illinois Constitution's due process clause or in Illinois' administrative procedures act.
Can the Legal Aid Society of Carmi, Illinois ("LASOC") represent Gaines? Does he have the right to have counsel present at the hearing? Normally, any American citizen has the right to retain private counsel of his choosing to represent him in any pending civil matter. However, in this case, LASOC is funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation ("LSC"). According to Nice & Trubek, under restrictive LSC regulations, legal services firms funded by LSC "may not handle cases involving . . . welfare reform;" and in 1996 Congress "prohibited [such firms] from securing attorneys fees from successful litigation." The federal constitutionality of these provisions has not been tested. If they are valid, LASOC runs the risk of losing funding
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