Modern Courts advocates for better funding for civil legal services. Low income New Yorkers have the best chance to achieve access to equal and fair justice when they are provided with legal representation and counsel. Without such representation, the resources of our court system are in danger of becoming overwhelmed.
Modern Courts’ Board members, Betsy Plevan and Hon. E. Leo Milonas along with our Deputy Executive Director, Denise Kronstadt, are active members of the Chief Judge’s Task Force on Civil Legal Services. The Task Force to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services in New York was created by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman in 2010 as part of his effort to establish a comprehensive approach to providing counsel to low-income New Yorkers in civil cases.
The Permanent Commission on Access to Justice was established in 2015, with the enactment of Part 51.1 of the Rules of the Chief Judge (22 NYCRR ยง 51.1), to continue the vital mandate of the Task Force to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services in New York. The Task Force was established in 2010 by then-Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman as part of a comprehensive effort to provide counsel to low-income New Yorkers in civil cases.