Why We Need a Right to Counsel in Civil Matters Where Basic Human Needs Are at Stake

Topics:
  • Bar Association
  • Seminar

2013 is the 50th Anniversary of the US Supreme Court's decision in Gideon v. Wainright, in which the Court established the right to representation by an attorney, at government expense, for people who cannot afford to pay for counsel. The court found that it was an "obvious truth" that a criminal defendant cannot have a fair trial unless counsel is appointed. The New York State Bar Association is hosting a forum on the important need for a right to counsel in civil legal matters. Find out why it is an equally obvious truth that there should be a right to counsel for low-income people who face court cases that may result in orders evicting them from their homes, denying them custody of their children and affecting other basic human needs.


The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register to attend the live program, please contact the Department of Pro Bono Affairs at (518) 487-5641 or probono@nysba.org.