Publications
Civil Justice
Facing Foreclosure Alone: The Continuing Crisis in Legal Representation
Recent data from state court systems show that a vast majority of homeowners facing foreclosure do not have a lawyer.
Authored by: Nabanita Pal
– 11/04/11
Foreclosures: A Crisis in Legal Representation
This report discusses the foreclosure crisis in terms of the larger crisis of the poor’s lack of access to civil legal representation. Anecdotal and empirical evidence show that in the areas hardest hit by foreclosures, Americans are not getting the legal help they need. The report highlights the many ways lawyers can help save families’ homes from foreclosure and recommends various policy steps to be taken on the national and state levels to increase access to attorneys for the most vulnerable.
Authored by: Melanca Clark with Maggie Barron
– 10/06/09
Language Access in State Courts
This report outlines the legal obligations of state courts regarding the provision of interpreters for litigants with limited English proficiency, aggregates information on how states are meeting these obligations and provides guidelines for state courts' language access programs.
Authored by: Laura Abel
– 07/04/09
Supreme Court Adjudication and the Qualifications of Supreme Court Nominees
Authored by: Sidney S. Rosdeitcher
– 07/02/09
A Call to End Federal Restrictions on Legal Aid for the Poor
A report calling for the repeal of draconian and wasteful restrictions on civil legal aid programs receiving funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation.
Authored by: Rebekah Diller & Emily Savner
– 06/22/09
Improving New York City’s Public Benefits System: A Key Role for Help Desks
This Brennan Center Strategic Fund Policy Proposal sets forth the observations of advocates and of public benefits clients, as conveyed to the Brennan Center in interviews and focus groups that we conducted in 2007. We describe a variety of ways in which help desks can substantially improve the public benefits system and the lives of many New Yorkers. It is time for the City to remove its ban on help desks.
Authored by: David Pedulla
– 02/24/08
Access to Justice: Opening the Courthouse Door
Our nation’s promise of “equal justice for all” is among its proudest traditions. In this paper, the authors offerer a series of proposals to bridge the gap between the lofty promise of equal justice and the often disappointing reality of justice on the ground.
Authored by: David Udell & Rebekah Diller
– 04/16/07
Results from Three Surveys of Tenants Facing Eviction in New York City Housing Court
More than two-thirds of tenants facing eviction in New York City Housing Court have no legal representation when they go before the court.
Authored by: Laura K. Abel and Kira Krenichyn, Ph.D.
– 02/14/07
Struggling to Meet the Need: Communities Confront Gaps in Federal Legal Aid
“Struggling to Meet the Need” presents a picture of the valiant efforts of state and local governments, as well as private entities, to find ways to support civil legal representation for vulnerable individuals and families despite massive setbacks imposed by Congress in 1996.
Authored by: Brennan Center
– 03/01/03
Hidden Agendas: What Is Really Behind Attacks on Legal Aid Lawyers
“Hidden Agendas” shines a bright light on the organizations and individuals responsible for imposing funding cuts and restrictions on civil legal aid lawyers, particularly on those in programs receiving federal funds from the federally funded Legal Services Corporation.
Authored by: Brennan Center
– 01/01/01