This “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent discusses the critical need for providing legal representation in civil cases—particularly those in which an individual’s home, family, or safety is at risk. While the right to counsel already extends to criminal cases in both federal and state courts, it does not currently extend to civil cases, where the socioeconomic outcomes often affect women more so than men. HLS LLM Laura Aquino asks why civil cases are not treated with the same level of importance as criminal cases and argues that expanding legal access is a matter of both fairness and justice.
Read the corresponding blog post.
Speakers:
- Laura Alicia Aquino Arriaga, LLM, Harvard Law School
- Michael Pusic, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Resources mentioned:
- The Gender of Gideon, UCLA Law Review
- Gideon v. Wainwright
- Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare, by Dorothy Roberts (2001)
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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal