Access to Justice

Unlike criminal cases, where poor defendants are appointed an attorney, there is no constitutional right to counsel in civil cases. The alternatives for someone facing the legal system without counsel are stark: go it alone or forgo legal claims, sometimes with dire consequences. 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.

The Poverty Center is actively involved in statewide efforts to expand access to counsel in civil cases and to assist pro se (self-represented) litigants.

Events

On September 16, 2010, the Poverty Center in conjunction with the UNC Law Pro Bono program presented a panel discussion entitled "Poor People's Justice: Denying Acess in Civil Cases".

On October 30, 2009, the Poverty Center gathered state and national leaders for its Access to Justice: A Right to Counsel in Civil Cases conference.

The conference was subsequently featured in the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly article, Could There Be a Right to Counsel in Civil Cases?

Publications

Articles and editorials by Gene Nichol:

• Why Not Counsel in Civil Cases Too?, November 23, 2009, News and Observer
• Access to Civil Justice in North Carolina, Fall 2009, NC State Bar Journal
• Judicial Abdication and Equal Access to the Civil Justice System, Case Western Reserve Law Review, publication forthcoming

Articles of Interest

John R. Wester, The President's Perspective: Will Adoption of Rule 6.1 Make a Difference in North Carolina?, North Carolina Lawyer, November/December 2009

Student pieces

• Jabeen Ahmad, Civil Right to Counsel in North Carolina
• Tarik Jallad, A Civil Right to Counsel: International and National Trends
• Kelley Gondring, Access to Civil Justice in North Carolina.