President of New York State Bar Association Calls on State To Fully Embrace Responsibility of Providing Counsel to Indigent Clients

President of New York State Bar Association Calls on State To Fully Embrace Responsibility of Providing Counsel to Indigent Clients

3.17.2023

By Susan DeSantis

Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement on the 60^th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, which occurs on Saturday, March 18.

“The New York State Bar Association has been a fierce advocate for access to justice and the right to counsel. Today, we recognize the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Gideon v. Wainwright that guaranteed that indigent people accused of crimes will have legal representation. Sixty years later, New York State hasn’t allocated sufficient resources to meet this mandate. The longer this goes unresolved, the more those in need of counsel and their communities suffer. In reflecting on the import of this moment in history, we urge the state to fully embrace its responsibility.”