When Kathy Hochul took office as Governor, I was elated and filled with hope. She emphasized that she would take care of children and families, the disadvantaged, and people of color. She talked about how her mother was an advocate for domestic violence victims. My joy was not only personal as a woman attorney, but for my clients. I have represented these very individuals as an assigned counsel attorney in Rochester for over a decade. Finally, the voices of my clients would be heard, and I was excited for Governor Hochul to get to work.

Sadly, I have been disappointed again and again—not only for myself, but even more so for my clients, who are the most vulnerable members in our communities across the state. Each day, their constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel is being denied by the state because there are not enough attorneys willing to represent them in criminal and family court. This means that criminal defendants are arraigned without an attorney. Children are being removed from parents with no representation. The shrinking number of attorneys still willing to do this work are dedicated to their clients but have crushing caseloads and, therefore, cannot give their clients the time that they deserve. The system is at a breaking point. Governor Hochul knows this, and she is doing nothing about it.