The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel has over 200 participants from 36 states. Participants meet monthly by telephone conference call to coordinate advocacy, strategize, and share information and tools. The coalition has filed amicus briefs in the cases of King v. King, Parrish v. Romfeldt-Mendoza (In re KJP), and In re McBride.
The Coalition's mission statement describes the Coalition as “an association of individuals and organizations committed to ensuring meaningful access to the courts for all. Our mission is to encourage, support and coordinate advocacy to expand recognition and implementation of a right to counsel in civil cases.”
The Coalition began in 2004 following a workshop on civil right to counsel held at the 2003 annual conference of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Participants come from legal aid organizations, public interest law firms, the private bar, academia, and state and local bar associations, among other places.
To inquire about becoming part of the Coalition, visit this page.
The Coalition's Steering Committee guides the coalition and makes decisions on matters such as how to respond to requests for amicus briefs. John Pollock, the ABA Section of Litigation Civil Right to Counsel Fellow at the Public Justice Center, chairs the committee. All of the organizations comprising the Coalition's Civil Right to Counsel Leadership and Support Initiative (CRCLSI) are represented on the Steering Committee. Additionally, individual members are:
- Russell Engler, New England School of Law
- Richard J. Goralewicz, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
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- Danny Greenberg, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
- Alan Houseman, Center for Law and Social Policy
- Donald Marritz, Regional Housing Services (PA)
- Marcia Palof, Legal Aid Society of Columbus
- Clare Pastore, ACLU of Southern California
- Christine Pate, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
- Steve Sachs, WilmerHale
- Don Saunders, National Legal Aid and Defender Association
- Mary Schneider, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota
- Jon Smith, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
- Jayne Tyrrell, Massachusetts Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts Program
- Perry M. Wilson, Dorsey & Whitney LLP