Events


2009-10 Past Events

Access to Justice in North Carolina: A Right to Counsel in Civil Cases

Is a system of justice that accepts the exclusion of millions of Americans the best that we can do? That is the question at the heart of this conference, held at the UNC School of Law on October 30.

The legal needs of low and modest-income North Carolinians is vast: 1 in 5 people earn less than 125% of the poverty line. According to a report released last year by North Carolina's Equal Access to Justice Commission, while the state has one lawyer for every 442 people, the ratio for legal aid attorneys to poor people is one to 15,500--well below the national average.

Unlike in criminal cases, there is no constitutional right to counsel in civil cases. A place to live, unemployment or disability benefits, parental rights, necessary medical treatments, protection from domestic violence, safeguards against predatory lending--these can all vanish without the guidance of an attorney.

This conference examined the significant steps taken to address this issue and initiatives from across the country in order to build on the national momentum to expand access to counsel in civil cases.

View or listen to the conference on iTunes U.  (Link will take you to a new page with a link to the conference video in the first paragraph.)

"Could there be a right to counsel in civil cases?," North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Article of the Week describing the conference, Nov. 9, 2009.

Conference Agenda

The Community Reinvestment Act in the "Center" Stage, Sept. 17

The Center for Banking and Finance, the Center for Civil Rights and the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity joined forces to host this re-evaluation of the role of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in the mortgage meltdown. Video of the panel in its entirety is now available. Please note: the video download may take several minutes.

The CRA, a federal law designed to prevent financial institutions from discriminating against low- and moderate-income clients, was blamed by some commentators in the aftermath of the housing crash as a major reason for the increase in risky subprime mortgages. Our distinguished panelists will address that charge, as well as explore ways it should be modified in light of recent events.

The panelists were:

  • Chris Kukla, Senior Counsel for Government Affairs, Center for Responsible Lending
  • Peter Skillern, Executive Director, Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina
  • Paul Stock, Executive Vice President and Counsel, North Carolina Bankers Association (NCBA)

Mark Dorosin, Senior Attorney for the Center for Civil Rights, moderated.

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