After 17 months, eviction lawyer program launching in Bristol County

Southeast Housing Court is set to launch a program today that provides free legal services to tenants and landlords engaged in the eviction process. After 17 months and more than 600 eviction executions since the pandemic began, it is the last housing court division in the state to adopt the Lawyer for the Day program…“If we genuinely value access to justice, then access to counsel must be expanded for those who cannot afford an attorney,” wrote Susan Nagl, executive director of South Coastal Counties Legal Services, which will provide lawyers for the program. “Tenants cannot meaningfully engage with the court process unless they know their rights and are able to effectively advance them.” Read more in The New Bedford Light