Diane Barnes wrote: "Licensing laws are usually requested, not by consumers complaining about the quality of service, but by the professionals themselves. Physicians were one of the very professions to do this. Setting High standards for those who were already in the profession and denying approval to practitioners who use different techniques from theirs. (Remember what physicians did to Chiropractors? or should I say tried to do?) " In my LC life I have been denied employment status equal to RN's and MD's for exactly this reason. The standard in some facilities is that "only licensed providers" can be accommodated as staff. This may be state (or county) mandated in some areas, as well. While I don't want to play political games only for my own gain, I would like to gain! Chiropractors have had to establish themselves independent of "main stream" medical facilities (is this correct? It is where I live.) At this point, however, many LCs have been "accepted" by "main stream" facilities. How do we play ball on this field, given the licensing "tradition"? (My thinking on this goes back-and-forth.) Where did you find the studies you cite (about licensing leading to unsafe practices?) Those are important references for us to have as we weigh in on this issue. Margery Wilson, IBCLC