The Attorney Referral Program is a pilot program for which only the following claims filed on or after January 1, 2023 will be eligible:
(1) claims involving injuries that occurred at Coxsackie, Greene or Washington Correctional Facilities; and
(2) claims alleging medical malpractice/medical negligence, general negligence, or assaults.
Since many civil claims arise from incidents in state prisons and state medical facilities, many claimants are pro se because they lack the ability and funding to locate counsel. In 2022, the Court of Claims established an Equal Justice in the Courts (EJIC) Committee and, as part of its mission, the Court seeks to improve equal access to justice for indigent and unrepresented litigants who come before the Court.
Court of Claims Judges have observed that the lack of representation of incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people and other indigent pro se litigants has potentially affected the prosecution of their claims. Claims have been dismissed on procedural and/or substantive grounds which may otherwise have proceeded to trial followed by a Court decision on the merits. This Attorney Referral Program is a direct result of the Court’s intent to eliminate this impediment to justice.