NEWS
- 04/04/2018: Wisconsin takes step towards right to counsel for parents >>
- 04/02/2018: Fed court: NJ township violated defendant's right to counsel in fees/fines case >>
- 03/23/2018: Texas court: when parents square off in private termination case, kids must have counsel >>
- 04/04/2018: Wisconsin takes step towards right to counsel for parents >>
- 04/02/2018: Fed court: NJ township violated defendant's right to counsel in fees/fines case >>
- 03/23/2018: Texas court: when parents square off in private termination case, kids must have counsel >>
- 03/23/2018: NY appellate ct: trial court erred in imputing income for appointed counsel decision >>
- 03/20/2018: Utah becomes 27th state to guarantee counsel for parents in private termination cases >>
- 03/20/2018: New national reports call for right to counsel in housing cases >>
- 02/21/2018: ACLU report decries private debt collection, calls for right to counsel >>
INTERACTIVE MAP
Our interactive map allows you to see recent activity, established rights to counsel, NCCRC involvement, and NCCRC presence by state.
NCCRC in the news
The NCCRC and the the civil right to counsel movement were included in recent feature by The Guardian and the ABA Journal, as well as a Maryland Daily Record editorial supporting the right to counsel in housing cases.
About
The NCCRC works towards recognition of a right to counsel for indigent litigants in civil cases involving basic human needs such as housing, health, domestic violence, and child custody. The 2016 Annual Report of the Public Justice Center (our host organization) discusses the NCCRC.
Why a Right to counsel?
For some types of civil cases, the right to a free lawyer for people who can't afford one helps ensure the court reaches the correct result, levels the playing field, saves more money than it costs, and serves as a best practice in our communities. Every state provides a right to counsel for some types of civil cases, but 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. Our work has helped establish a right to counsel in key areas like child custody, guardianship of adults, termination of parental rights, and incarceration for failure to pay criminal fees and fines.
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.