COVID-19 and Tenant Legal Support

Per Rhode Island Supreme Court Executive Order 2020-04, all non-emergency matters—including judicial eviction proceedings—are on hold until at least April 17, 2020. However, courts are not staying removal of tenants for whom a judge has already issued a writ of execution.

This means that new evictions are not being processed, and in-process evictions are on hold, but where a court has already ordered that an eviction can proceed, sheriffs are allowed to remove tenants.

If you are a tenant facing eviction and you are in private housing (that is, not Section 8 or public housing), you can call the Center for Justice at 401-491-1101. If you are in Section 8 or public housing, please call Rhode Island Legal Services at 401-274-2652 (Providence office) or 401-846-2264 (Newport office).

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RIDE Releases “Scathing” Report on Providence Public Schools Amidst Fight Over Constitutional Right to Education

There are “unusually deep, systemic dysfunctions in PPSD’s [Providence Public School District’s] education system that clearly, and very negatively, impact the opportunities of children in Providence,” wrote Johns Hopkins researchers in summarizing their 60-day study of the school district, which was commissioned by Governor Raimondo in April 2019. The unsettling report, published in June, calls…

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Student Plaintiffs in “Right to Education” Case Appear on The Daily Show as Providence Public Schools Report is Released

By Zack Mezera, Providence Student Union, and Jennifer Wood, RI Center for Justice Recent Providence schools graduates Aleita Cook and Ahmed Sesay held back laughs as The Daily Show correspondent Jaboukie Young-White wheeled into a classroom on a hoverboard, doing his worst impression of a modern teenager. The subject of the interview, however, was extremely…

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Center for Justice Files Federal Class Action on a Constitutional Right to Education

On November 28, 2018, the Rhode Island Center for Justice filed a federal class action suit on behalf of all Rhode Island public-school students, asserting that they have a Constitutional right to an education that is being denied in underfunded school districts. The lawsuit, which was filed with attorney Michael Rebell of Teachers College/Columbia University…

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Worker Co-Op Bill Signed Into Law

Last Wednesday, October 25, 2017, Governor Gina Raimondo travelled to Fuerza Laboral headquarters to sign new legislation on Workers’ Cooperatives into law. This bill, which the Center for Justice supported and   clarified and standardized the means for workers to own the businesses they work at, is a tremendous boon to the working people of Rhode…

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Center for Justice Announces New Executive Director

NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts:   John Willumsen-Friedman 401-491-1101 ext. 810 jwillumsen@centerforjustice.org PROVIDENCE, RI May 3, 2017 – The Rhode Island Center for Justice announced Jennifer Wood as the Center’s next Executive Director today.  The Rhode Island Center for Justiceis a non-profit public interest law center that partners with community groups to strengthen existing advocacy…

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April Update

Legal Advocacy Beyond the Courtroom Center for Justice Pushes Anti-Poverty Policy Agenda Workers’ Cooperative Bill In partnership with Fuerza Laboral, Jobs with Justice and other community advocates, the Center for Justice has spearheaded the drafting and introduction of groundbreaking legislation to facilitate the creation of workers’ cooperatives in Rhode Island.  House Bill 6001 and Senate…

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Justice for Breakfast with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

On January 23, 2017, the Center for Justice, with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, hosted an advocacy briefing and discussion for concerned lawyers to address anticipated changes in federal law and policy impacting low-income Rhode Islanders.

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