RALEIGH - There's been a great deal of talk about the need to raise North Carolina's teacher salaries. Thank goodness. Teachers are the backbone of our educational system. They have gone underpaid for decades. As a result, many of our best and brightest young people choose not to pursue careers in the classroom, seeking instead to earn higher salaries in other fields. Finally this situation has been deemed a bona fide crisis, one with potentially dire consequences.

The state now faces a similar crisis within our justice system. Many of North Carolina's court officials -- including judges, the backbone of our courts -- are vastly underpaid.

Many of our state's best attorneys are eschewing careers on the bench and other roles in the judicial branch. Some judges with valuable experience are stepping down. In all too many cases, the reason is sadly familiar: ridiculously low compensation.

Only about 2 percent of our state's roughly $17 billion annual budget is devoted to funding our judicial branch. This is the very same justice system that serves as one of the bedrocks of our society, a system that must accommodate us all as our population and demographics continue to grow and change.

Gov. Mike Easley has proposed adding more than $20 million for the court system. The bulk of the money will go toward new judgeships, additional prosecutors and other staff, as well as much-needed technological improvements. For this, the governor should be applauded.

But just as we must continue to seek long-term increases in funding for schools, this must not be a one-time commitment. And just as funding for much-needed school construction does little to help teachers pay their bills, the money the governor has proposed for the court system falls short of addressing the problem of compensation for judges and others in the system.

The N.C. State Judicial Council recently reported that, among 12 Southeastern states, North Carolina pays its Supreme Court chief justice less than all but Mississippi and West Virginia. (The chief justice here earns $121,391 a year.) Other appellate judges earn slightly less than the chief. Trial judges make $107,136 annually. These salaries lag below the national averages.

Like teachers, these judges provide a remarkably important service. And like teachers, they are making a financial sacrifice. Virtually all judges could earn vastly more in private practice. Experienced judges could command stunning salaries at large law firms. To say we owe these jurists a great debt is an understatement.

A recent analysis by the Administrative Office of the Courts recommends raising the chief justice's salary to $155,000, and other judicial salaries accordingly. Given their level of service -- and the obvious importance of the system in which they serve -- isn't this the least we can do?

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Just as embarrassing is the pay we offer court-appointed attorneys. These are lawyers who have agreed to represent indigent clients charged with serious crimes. While attorneys in private practice are commanding much higher pay, these lawyers serving the state are paid $65 an hour. That's less than big-city plumbers charge to repair a leaky pipe. The N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers supports a $10 increase for all court-appointed attorneys, resulting in rates of $75 per hour for non-capital cases and $95 per hour for capital cases.

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Various segments of the legal community sometimes disagree on important issues. On the issue of compensation for court officials, lawyers can voice unanimous support.

It's important to point out that income typically has nothing to do with the reasons most attorneys decide to serve in the judicial branch, especially judges. Some do it out of a sense of duty. Others simply have a deep and genuine love for the law. But the fact is, when the income gap becomes too great, who can blame a judge for doing what is necessary to take care of a family?

So kudos to Easley for proposing additional funding for the court system this year -- and to the legislature for listening. But let's not stop there. Let's continue funding the system appropriately on an annual basis. And by all means, give our hard-working judicial servants the kind of compensation they deserve. The quality of our justice system may depend on it.

(Cliff Britt practices law in Winston-Salem and is president of the Raleigh-based N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers.)