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Every state has a constitutional obligation to provide legal representation to criminal defendants who cannot afford an attorney. Nevada is failing to fulfill this obligation for low income people in its rural counties on a daily basis. Many of these underfunded rural counties lack a true public defense system, and instead mainly rely on flat-fee or defacto flat fee contract attorneys to act as public defenders. These contract attorneys operate without the oversight, resources, or time necessary to ensure they are providing an adequate defense to low income Nevadans. In fact, very often they fail to communicate with clients in basic ways, advocate effectively for pretrial release at bail hearings, or conduct independent investigations necessary to defend their clients. Worse, they at times pressure clients into taking plea bargains against the clients’ express wishes. This is not justice.

The ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ of Kentucky, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Covington & Burling filed a federal lawsuit over Kentucky’s failure to take appropriate action to ensure eligible voters can safely cast a ballot in the November general election given the COVID-19 outbreak.

The ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ of Puerto Rico, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Puerto Rico Election Commission’s failure to implement steps to ensure voters over 60 can safely cast a ballot in the November general election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ of Michigan, Arnold & Porter, and Goodman Acker filed a lawsuit on May 22, 2020, challenging Michigan’s requirement that absentee ballots be received by Election Day in order to be counted.