The origins of the clinic date back to 2003, when an FBA-WDWA taskforce studied the availability of legal services for low-income civil litigants in federal court in this District. The taskforce identified several gaps in legal services and determined how best to address them. One such gap was the lack of a designated resource to assist pro se litigants with federal legal questions. The taskforce proposed that the FBA-WDWA establish a periodic federal legal clinic to assist this population with their unmet legal needs.
According to the taskforce’s findings, the majority of pro se cases filed each year are civil rights related, with particularly high numbers of employment and prisoner rights cases. While the District employed several pro se law clerks to handle pro se prisoner filings, and provided a comprehensive pro se handbook to assist such litigants, the District lacked a designated resource to directly assist individuals with their federal legal questions. The KCBA, along with local government agencies, handled some of the non-prisoner caseload, but the service gap remained.
With the support of then-FBA-WDWA President Valerie L. Hughes, and in partnership with the KCBA, the clinic was created to channel much of this overflow to one location where competent and free federal legal guidance could be provided. Nearly 100 clients later, the clinic is fulfilling its mission. Over the past eighteen months, the clinic has provided legal advice to clients with employment discrimination, disability, housing, prison misconduct, and excessive force claims. Approximately thirty percent of these cases have involved employment-related issues.
Navigating the federal courts can be daunting for even the most sophisticated legal practitioner, and for the many pro se litigants in our District who seek access to our courts, the system can seem impenetrable. By providing limited legal representation together with self-help materials, the Federal Civil Rights Legal Clinic is able to make a difference in the lives of this underserved population.
Contact Information:
For additional information about the Federal Civil Rights Legal Clinic, contact: