Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity
Access to Justice in North Carolina Conference, Oct. 30
On October 30, 2009, the Poverty Center hosted a powerful conference on access to justice in civil cases.
Despite our claim to "equal justice for all," millions of people in the US are, for all practical purposes, excluded from the courts because they can't afford a lawyer. It doesn't matter how high the stakes or how complex the matter, the vast majority of low and middle income people face their legal challenges alone.
Visit our Events page for more information, to view the conference video or to read the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly article about the conference.
Recent editorials and testimony by Professor Gene Nichol, Poverty Center director
Visit the Center's Publications and Video page for additional pieces by Prof. Nichol.
Panel on the Community Reinvestment Act, Sept. 17 - Video Now Available
During the height of the sub-prime foreclosure epidemic, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was frequently blamed by some commentators as a leading reason for the increase in bad home loans. Defenders of the CRA pointed out that the law, which was passed in 1977 to prohibit banks from discriminating against customers in low income neighborhoods, was at most a bit player in the foreclosure meltdown.
So what's the skinny? Our three experts looked at the CRA, its history and impact, and discussed suggestions on ways to improve it in the future. Video of the panel is available on our Events page.
Video from the conference "Poverty and the Recession in North Carolina" now available!
Check it out by visiting our 2008-2009 Events archive.