US: Lawyers urged to volunteer to address evictions crisis

In a statement yesterday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the end of the federal eviction moratorium is expected to result in eviction proceedings spiking to “roughly double their pre-pandemic levels”.

Over six million households in the United States are behind on rental payments and nearly half of those believe they could be evicted in the next two months, according to a recent government survey.

Addressing the legal community, Mr Garland said: “The impact of evictions on these families and on exacerbating the pandemic would be devastating.

“The legal profession is well positioned to provide support for tenants, landlords and courts during this crisis. Ensuring that our justice system delivers outcomes that are fair and accessible to all, without regard to wealth or status, is one of the highest ideals of our profession.

“No matter where you live, there are several ways you can apply your legal training and skills to help your community.”

He called on lawyers to volunteer with local legal aid providers or law school clinical programmes, or to contact local courts to find out if they have established a volunteering programme to help with the crisis.

He concluded: “You can make a difference. Please start by volunteering today.”