TESTIMONY
by Kathryn Wylde
PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW YORK CITY
New York, New York
September 28, 2010
(PDF 67K)Testimony Submitted to the Task Force to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services in New York
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the need for expanded access to legal representation in civil cases. Under any circumstance this is a critical discussion to have; but, for it to have emanated from the judiciary itself is quite extraordinary. We commend the Chief Judge for his foresight and his leadership.
The Partnership for New York City is an organization of international and regional business leaders who are dedicated to maintaining New York’s standing as the pre-eminent center of global commerce, finance and innovation. Our members employ 1.3 million people throughout the state and contribute $202 billion a year to the state GDP.
New York’s economic vitality requires a well-functioning judicial system that works for everyone. Failure to insure access to representation for all New Yorkers undermines efforts to make this a city of economic opportunity. Increasing access to counsel in civil cases will instill greater confidence in our justice system and in the character of our city. This, in turn, will contribute to the stability needed to attract new business investment and grow our economy.
New York City and most of its business sectors are rebounding from the global recession, but the recovery has yet to reach most low-income New Yorkers. In fact, statistics released earlier this month show that New York State’s poverty rate climbed to 15.8% in 2009, when more than 3 million New Yorkers were living in poverty (up from 14.2% the year earlier). This rate of poverty was 12th highest in the nation and higher than other northeastern states.
The recession and increasing conditions of poverty have resulted in an increase in the number of New Yorkers seeking free and discounted civil legal assistance, obtaining unemployment and disability benefits, fleeing domestic violence, and preventing evictions, foreclosures and homelessness. In the Bronx alone, – where 1 in 4 residents lives in poverty — the number of civil actions filed with the Clerk’s Office grew by over 21% in the first three terms of 2010, as compared with that same period in 2009. At the same time, the availability of subsidized legal services has declined.
Providing legal services to low-income New Yorkers is a good investment. As we seek solutions for the difficult fiscal problems faced by both our City and State, we should keep in mind that these legal services have the potential to save government millions of dollars a year in averting homelessness and obtaining federal benefits in place of State and City public assistance payments.
A fair and just legal system is essential to sustaining the confidence of business in our city, and to encouraging investment and growth. This is why insuring adequate representation for lower income New Yorkers dealing with our civil legal system is so important to the economic future and well-being of our city.