The unmet need for civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing our state’s justice system. In recent weeks, the Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Services in New York reported for the third year in a row that there is a continuing and unacceptable crisis of the unrepresented in the courts of New York state.1 Every year, millions of the most vulnerable New Yorkers are left to navigate a complex legal system without the help of a lawyer. We have made great strides in addressing the justice gap between the need for legal assistance and the resources available to fill that need through increased public funding and the efforts of the judiciary and the bar. But the job is far from done. We must continue to look for ways to promote access to justice in New York state.
Addressing the Crisis
The judiciary has been successful in obtaining substantial funding for civil legal services in its budget for the last two years, with the support of the legislature and the governor. Our budget proposal for the coming year includes additional monies for civil legal services, and again includes funds to help rescue the Interest on Lawyer Account Fund of New York state. IOLA in past years has been a significant source of funding for service providers, but has dwindled by nearly 80 percent due to historic low interest rates. This effort to secure permanent and steady public funding for civil legal services has been bolstered by the strong advocacy of the organized Bar in New York state. Earlier this month, the State Bar Association unveiled its legislative priorities for the coming year, which reiterated its focus on legal services for the poor who are facing life-altering civil legal problems.
