NEWS
- 11/16/2020: Baltimore City Council passes tenant right to counsel bill >>
- 11/10/2020: PA high court acts to strengthen child's right to counsel >>
- 11/03/2020: Boulder becomes 6th city with eviction right to counsel >>
- 11/16/2020: Baltimore City Council passes tenant right to counsel bill >>
- 11/10/2020: PA high court acts to strengthen child's right to counsel >>
- 11/03/2020: Boulder becomes 6th city with eviction right to counsel >>
- 10/12/2020: MA to provide counsel to tenants statewide >>
- 09/05/2020: About COVID-19 and the right to counsel >>
- 09/04/2020: Houston will guarantee counsel for some tenants >>
- 09/04/2020: Rochester NY to provide counsel for all tenants >>
INTERACTIVE MAP
Our interactive map allows you to see recent activity, established rights to counsel, NCCRC involvement, and NCCRC presence by state.
COVID-19 and the right to counsel
Read our statement about how the right to counsel factors in the current epidemic.
About
The NCCRC works to advance the right to counsel for low-income people in civil cases involving basic human needs, such as housing, health, domestic violence, civil incarceration, and child custody.
Why a Right to counsel?
For many types of civil cases, the potential consequences of losing are dramatic: loss of one's home, children, livelihood, education, health, safety, liberty, or even life. The right to an attorney for people who can't afford one in such cases protects these basic rights, ensure sthe court reaches the correct result, levels the playing field, saves more money than it costs, and serves as a best practice in our communities. While every state provides a right to counsel for some types of civil cases, it's a patchwork at best. Since 2003, the NCCRC and its 300+ participants have fought for such a right in states across the country.
Bibliographies
Want to find out about practically everything (media story, study/report, law review article, etc.) that's ever been written about the civil right to counsel? You'll find it in our bibliographies.