Notable Recent Publications features the latest empirical research and data related to indigent defense. Should you have suggestions, ideas for work that should be included, or trouble accessing any of the articles featured, please write to albdavies@smu.edu . Articles Kevin Dahaghi Uneven Access to Justice: Social Context and Eligibility for the Right to Counsel . Social Problems. The right to counsel is a cornerstone of due process. This article explores the legal construction of “indigency” in criminal county courts. I examine Texas’s Fair Defense Act (2001), a policy mandate that required all 254 counties to create formal criteria used for determining eligibility for access to counsel, as an empirical case for understanding local policy choices that shape access to justice. Drawing on novel data from court plans, I find significant variation in the stringency of eligibility criteria used to determine indigency. Results show that socioeconomic conditions, racial
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