Local Providence Lawyers Working to Address Unmet Legal Needs

The newly created Center for Justice, is a nonprofit public interest law center, which is working to address the growing volume of unmet legal needs among society's most vulnerable sections. Center for Justice has the support of the Roger Williams School of Law, the Rhode Island Center for Justice, elected officials, members of the bench and bar and other community groups.

This new nonprofit emphasizes the need for increased access to justice in Providence and the rest of Rhode Island. It also offers new attorneys hands-on experience serving community members who are struggling with critical issues such as housing, employment and immigration.

An Innovative Staffing Model

The center has developed a creative and innovative staffing model in collaboration with the law school featuring a post-graduate fellowship program open exclusively to recent alumni. Four full-time staff attorney positions are filled through a competitive application process through which alumni from the previous five graduating classes are selected to work at the Center for Justice for a two-year period.

The program not only helps newly admitted lawyers and law students acquire the practical skills required for their future careers, but also helps those who are otherwise unable to procure legal services and pursue justice.

The Need for Such an Organization

"This is a win-win arrangement for the students, young lawyers, the law school and most importantly, for those of us who are marginalized and disenfranchised," said Tom d'Oliveira, administrator of d'Oliveira & Associates. "Like many other states, there is serious lack of access to civil legal services for individuals who are homeless or are victimized by predatory employment and consumer practices. We hope the center will be a strong voice for those who would not otherwise qualify for legal assistance such as the state's working poor and immigrants."

According to the center's administrators, it is precisely the poor who lack access to justice because they are frequently ineligible for federally funded civil aid. Organizations such as the Center for Justice are needed not just in Rhode Island, but nationwide to expand the availability of legal assistance for substantial segments of the population.

The Center for Justice has taken shape over the last 18 months under the leadership of attorneys Weizenbaum and De Luca of DeLuca & Weizenbaum. We at d'Oliveira & Associates wish them the very best with this noble endeavor and will do whatever we can to support this effort to help ensure that everyone has access to the civil justice system.