2015-C620
Sponsored By
WEINSTEIN
co-Sponsors
Joseph Lentol
Daniel O'Donnell
Crystal Peoples-Stokes
multi-Sponsors
Edward Braunstein
David Buchwald
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Deborah Glick
text
2015-C620
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY relating to the
provision of civil legal services to the poor
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body, by resolution adopted in 2010 (J.6368
and K.1621), recognized that the fair administration of justice requires
that every person who must use the courts have access to adequate legal
representation and, accordingly, invited the chief judge of the state to
annually report to the governor and the legislature concerning the find-
ings of his statewide hearings to assess the extent and nature of unmet
civil legal services needs, and the work of the Task Force to Expand
Access to Civil Legal Services in New York; and
WHEREAS, These annual reports have consistently demonstrated that, for
a significant percentage of those New Yorkers who live in poverty
(defined for these purposes as living at or below 200 percent of the
Federal poverty guidelines), effective legal assistance can have
profound impact upon one's ability to realize or protect the essentials
of life, which may include remaining in one's home, escaping from domes-
tic violence, stabilizing a family, maintaining or obtaining subsistence
income or other vital government services, securing adequate health care
or pursuing an education; and
WHEREAS, These annual reports also have shown that, when impoverished
New Yorkers must appear in the state's civil courts without legal repre-
sentation, there is a greater public cost because these courts must
divert more of their limited resources to assist them, and because their
cases are much less likely to be settled early or otherwise disposed of
and therefore they add to court calendar congestion; and
WHEREAS, Although, in the wake of this Legislative Body's 2010 resol-
ution, the state has committed greater fiscal resources to the provision
of civil legal services for the poor and the Task Force to Expand Access
to Civil Legal Services in New York has secured greater service contrib-
utions by law schools, bar associations and the private bar, it remains
the case today that a vast number of New Yorkers who live in poverty
actually do not have access to effective legal assistance when necessary
to realize or protect the essentials of life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED (if the concur), That it is the sense of this Legis-
lative Body that the state must continue its efforts to achieve the
ideal of equal access to civil justice for all; and be it further
RESOLVED (if the concur), That, to accomplish this end, the
policy of the state of New York is that every New Yorker who lives at or
below 200 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines have effective legal
assistance in matters involving the essentials of life (housing, family
matters, access to healthcare, education and subsistence income).
actions
-
03 / Jun / 2015
- REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
-
08 / Jun / 2015
- REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
-
10 / Jun / 2015
- REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION
-
11 / Jun / 2015
- ADOPTED
Resolution Details
- Law Section:
- Resolutions, Concurrent, Assembly
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