The Washington Times informs us that Marion Frances Berry is getting pro bono work from a Washington law firm to help her with her absurd case to keep a Clinton interim appointment on the Civil Rights Commission beyond the appointed term.

Only one problem--it's illegal. According to commission statute, ""The Commission shall not accept or utilize services of voluntary or uncompensated personnel. This limitation shall apply with respect to services of members of the commission as it does with respect to services by other persons."

Funny, she had no problem at all in invoking the same law to keep John Lott's statistical data out of Abby Thernstrom's dissent in the commission's nonsensical report on the "disenfranchisement of blacks" in the Florida election.

As presently constituted, this commission has become a running joke, except that it's not really funny, and, like Jesse Jackson's antics, it continues to distract blacks from dealing with their real problems.