Assembly to Hold First Public Hearing on Access to Justice for the Poor

Albany, NY:
On February 24, 2009, providers of civil legal services to the poor, bar
association leaders, Pro Bono law firm leaders, community groups, and others
will testify before members of the New York State Assembly at the first public
hearing on Access to Justice for the Poor ever held in New York State.

Full press release follows:

 

STATEWIDE
CAMPAIGN FOR CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES

 

FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: February 20,
2009

CONTACT: Anne Erickson, 518-462-6831 x
103

                    Andrew Scherer, 646-442-3606

                    Steven Banks, 212-577-3277

                    Deborah
Wright, 212-343-0708

                    Kenneth Rosenfeld,
212-822-8327

 

STATE HEARING
HIGHLIGHTS DEARTH OF LEGAL HELP FOR VULNERABLE NEW
YORKERS

 

Albany, NY:  On February 24, 2009, providers
of civil legal services to the poor, bar association leaders, Pro Bono law firm
leaders, community groups, and others will testify before members of the New
York State Assembly at the first public hearing on Access to Justice for the
Poor ever held in New
York State.

The purpose of the hearing is to
seek testimony regarding the impact of the fiscal crisis on vulnerable and
low-income New Yorkers, assess their current needs, and determine the impact of
inadequate funding for legal services to the poor on the fair administration of
justice in New
York State.

The Statewide Campaign for Civil
Legal Services – representing providers of civil legal services to the poor from
across New York State – applauds this important step in addressing the
crisis in civil legal services in New York State, where less than 14% of the civil
legal needs of the State’s 2.5 million poor are being
met.

“Given the avalanche of dire news
regarding the deteriorating economy – unemployment at 7.4%, increased bankruptcy
filings, and foreclosure filings continuing to rise – we thank the New York
State Assembly, and Assembly Judiciary Chair Helene Weinstein, for bringing to
light in this hearing the desperate plight of vulnerable New Yorkers in this
fiscal crisis,” said Andrew Scherer, Executive Director and President, Legal
Services NYC.

Although there are, as yet, no
hard numbers on the specific increase in demand for services in New York State, a recent New York Times article reported that in
some programs demand for legal assistance has increased over 30%. According to
Anne Erickson, President and CEO of the Empire Justice Center, “Our programs are
seeing an increase in demand for our services from thousands of New Yorkers in
areas such as housing, domestic violence, child custody, Unemployment Insurance,
health care, and disabilities assistance. And yet, the Governor has set aside
only $1 million for a statewide general appropriation for civil legal services.
Without adequate funding, the State will see a crisis of historic proportions as
civil legal services programs across the state shut down. Families whose homes
could have been saved will become homeless.  Women who need legal assistance to
effectively separate from their abusers will continue to be beaten.  Children
whose parents have been wrongly denied unemployment benefits will go
hungry.”

“The crisis in legal services is
being compounded by the fact that a once reliable source of funding for our
programs – The Interest on Lawyers Trust Account of the State of New York –
which made grants totaling over $31 million in December 2008 may have as little
as $1 to $4 million to distribute in December 2009.  This will have a
devastating impact on the stability of the civil legal services infrastructure
in the State,” said Deborah L. Wright, President, UAW Local 2325 –Association of
Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO).

"Without immediate and substantial
funding assistance, chronically underfunded civil legal services offices and
their clients throughout the State are facing a crisis of terrifying
proportions," agreed Kenneth Rosenfeld, Director of Legal Services for Northern
Manhattan Improvement Corp. and representative of LEAP, a coalition of 10
New York City
providers.  He continued, "At this point, New York State remains one of the least supportive
states in the country in its per capita funding for client services at civil
justice offices. Without an executive branch home for legal services and the
ongoing insufficiency of funding support, New York's working poor and poor people are
having an increasingly difficult time accessing justice and legal services
lawyers to assist them. New
York can and should do
better."

Steven Banks, Attorney-in-Chief of
the Legal Aid Society of New York City, states that “It is our hope that, among
other things, this hearing will demonstrate that investing in civil legal
services funding should be an important part of the State’s economic recovery
plan – for the small investment the State makes, civil legal services programs
garner $24.5 million in retroactive disability awards for clients, and $131
million in total benefits to clients, bringing millions of dollars into the
State annually.”

 
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