Why legal aid matters | opinion
When I speak to civic groups about Alpine Legal Services, I'm surprised how many people have heard of us but aren't sure what we do.People also tell me they don't realize the right to legal representation applies mostly to criminal cases. They didn't know that those facing a life-altering civil legal matter — an eviction, a protection order from abuse and violence, a custody case, an emergency guardianship — are most often not entitled to an attorney. That's where civil legal aid comes in. That's what we do.Alpine Legal Services has been around in one form or another since 1987. A group of lawyers saw the need to uphold justice for people who had strong cases but didn't know how to present them and couldn't afford to hire an attorney.…