Associated Press: Purser discusses the right for renters to have legal counsel

January 4, 2021

The Associated Press

Gretchen Purser

Sociology Department

Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict & Collaboration

Civil Rights

Housing

State & Local

United States

The Associated Press

Gretchen Purser

Fewer than 10 cities and counties nationwide guarantee tenants the right to a lawyer in housing-related disputes, and for people struggling to make ends meet, an attorney is beyond their means. Unlike criminal cases, an attorney won’t be assigned if someone can’t afford one. "The push for right to counsel preceded the pandemic, but it’s particularly acute and particularly urgent in light of the pandemic, given just the overall precarity that renters are facing," says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology. Legal representation "is going to be one of the most important things that groups around the country can be pushing for," Purser says. She was quoted in the Associated Press article, "Cities helping renters get right to lawyers in housing court."