It is important to think strategically about when and where to pursue a civil right to counsel, and not to work in isolation. The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel and its Leadership and Support Initiative have gathered a wealth of information about the prospects for success in achieving advances in a civil right to counsel around the country. We are available to share that information and help develop a strategic approach for your state. We can also tell you who else in your state is interested or already working on the issue. Please contact us.

If the history of the right to counsel in criminal cases is any indication, advocates must lead on the state level to establish a right to counsel in civil cases. Advocating such a right is only fundamentally fair. And advocates may even find that joining a civil-right-to-counsel movement can invigorate their work.

How to Start Advocating a Right to Counsel in Civil Cases in Your State: A Look at Ohio, by Marcia Palof, from July-August 2006 Clearinghouse Review.