Urges Criminal Defense Attorneys to Address Clients’ Non-Legal Problems
RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges defender organizations, and
criminal defense lawyers to:
1) Establish and facilitate criminal defense lawyers’ linkages and collaborations with civil
practitioners, civil legal services organizations, social service program providers and other non lawyer professionals who can serve, or assist in serving, clients in criminal cases with civil legal and non-legal problems related to their criminal cases, including the hiring of such professionals as experts, or where infrastructure allows, as staff;
2) Authorize and encourage criminal defense lawyers to provide re-entry and reintegration services to clients in criminal cases including expungement, reestablishment of rights and certificates of reliefs of civil disabilities; and
3) Create and implement training programs, tools and resources for criminal defense lawyers and their staff regarding how best to serve clients with civil legal and non-legal problems related to their criminal cases.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges governments, foundations, and other
funders of legal services to support, with increased funding, defenders in their efforts to effectively
address clients’ inter-related criminal, civil and non-legal problems.
RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges defender organizations, and
criminal defense lawyers to:
1) Establish and facilitate criminal defense lawyers’ linkages and collaborations with civil
practitioners, civil legal services organizations, social service program providers and other non lawyer professionals who can serve, or assist in serving, clients in criminal cases with civil legal and non-legal problems related to their criminal cases, including the hiring of such professionals as experts, or where infrastructure allows, as staff;
2) Authorize and encourage criminal defense lawyers to provide re-entry and reintegration services to clients in criminal cases including expungement, reestablishment of rights and certificates of reliefs of civil disabilities; and
3) Create and implement training programs, tools and resources for criminal defense lawyers and their staff regarding how best to serve clients with civil legal and non-legal problems related to their criminal cases.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges governments, foundations, and other
funders of legal services to support, with increased funding, defenders in their efforts to effectively
address clients’ inter-related criminal, civil and non-legal problems.
