The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel has approximately 150 participants from 35 states. Participants meet monthly by telephone conference call to coordinate advocacy in support of a civil right to counsel, to strategize, and to share information and tools. The coalition has filed amicus briefs in the cases of King v. King and Parrish v. Romfeldt-Mendoza.

Its 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.

Steering Committee
The Steering Committee guides the coalition and makes decisions on matters such as how to respond to requests for amicus briefs. Sharon Rubinstein, Northwest Justice Project, chairs the committee; members are:

Russell Engler, New England School of Law

Kia Franklin, Drum Major Institute

Richard J. Goralewicz, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

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