SouthCoast Fair Housing v. Saunders (2018)
Category: Active Case Due Process Free Speech Right to Petition & Protest
About This Case:
This is a federal lawsuit on behalf of SouthCoast Fair Housing against the RI Supreme Court over a court rule that is preventing the organization from providing legal help to victims of housing discrimination in RI. As the rule is currently written, non-profit organizations cannot obtain a license to practice law in the state unless they serve only “indigent” clients. This is despite the fact that the Court’s own rules recognize that it is not just the poor, but “sometimes persons who are not poor” who are unable to afford adequate legal assistance.
Current Status:
In October 2019, the RI Supreme Court revised the rule.
ACLU Cooperating Attorneys:
Mark W. Freel and Jeffrey Ankrom
Related Documents
- The Lawsuit
- Defendent Motion to Dismiss (January 2019)
- Plaintiff Objection to Motion to Dismiss (February 2019)
- Court Denial of Motion to Dismiss (March 2019)
- Revision to Rule 11 (October 2019)
Related News Releases
- Oct 22, 2019 - Lawsuit Over Ban on Non-Profit Legal Organizations Assisting Non-Indigent Clients Resolved
- Sep 26, 2018 - Lawsuit Challenges RI Court Rule Barring Non-Profit Legal Orgs from Assisting Non-Indigent Clients