Power Station

Equal justice under the law may be a goal of our court system, but it is not a guaranteed outcome. There is no right to counsel in civil cases, making low-income tenants in Housing Court at great risk of eviction and potentially homelessness. These cases are high stakes, especially in jurisdictions where affordable housing is out of reach for most low-income individuals and families. Nationally, only 4% of tenants are represented by lawyers compared to 83% of landlords, a data point that has barely improved over the decades. In this episode of Power Station I speak with Chijioke Akamigbo, executive director of Rising Justice, a nonprofit organization whose game changing model for the provision of civil legal services is transforming the field. Rising for Justice, situated in the DC Superior Court is powered by a team of attorneys and the law students and social work students who take part in its clinical training program. These students learn not only the law but what it takes to secure justice for those who